IT Delivers the Scares and Humor in an Endlessly Fun Ride

Rating: 8/10 (9 September 2017)

Don't overthink it. Don't overthink IT.
That's a plea from the novel's author himself, Stephen King. He didn't want anyone to delve too deeply into analyzing this movie, so respect the man's wishes. He knows his work better than anyone else possibly could. After all, he wrote it.
I understand the temptation to explore the layers of IT. We see the themes of community, transitioning to adulthood, bullying, racism, friendship, yada, yada, yada. I'm telling you—don't fixate on that. Focus on IT. And by IT, I mean not only Pennywise the Dancing Clown, but also the embodiment of all your worst fears, everything that IT can be. Because that's what this movie is really about above all else—being afraid.
This 2017 adaptation of IT provides a litany of reasons to be afraid, not the least of which is Bill Skarsgard's terrifying, devious, vicious performance of the infamous clown. This is very much of modern version of Pennywise, equipped with special effects to illustrate his shape-shifting abilities and showcase his considerable power.
There's nothing cheesy here. Pennywise is only ever funny and charming as a means to lure children. The humor is intentional when it hits.
The most brilliant element of IT is its self-recognition. The movie (or its writers) understands that stories of this ilk (i.e. an unstoppable monstrous figure is killing people) are inherently kind of silly. Take Michael Myers, for example. Sure, his is scary, but he is also partly ridiculous and silly because it's ridiculous and silly to believe that a human child would ever turn into an unstoppable killing machine that has no reason for killing and also cannot be killed by gun shots or fire or seemingly anything else. The movie makers understand this and respond accordingly by embracing the silly: they make the unstoppable killer a dancing circus clown.
Now, I understand that to many people clowns are terrifying even if they aren't killing anyone. That's fair. Clowns don't really stir up those fears in me, but I find dolls endlessly creepy, so I get it. The fact remains that Pennywise most commonly takes the form of a clown, and clowns are silly. So, the movie also contains some appropriate silliness. The kids make crude jokes. A lot of them. Some of the things that Pennywise does blur the lines between silly and scary. Certain scenes, or at least certain moments within scenes, can be perceived as either scary or silly.
The movie navigates this blend of silly and scary brilliantly. The scares begin early and strike with ferocity. The jump scares come only as necessary; they do not wear out their welcome. There's also a satisfying sprinkle of disturbing images and prolonged stints of dread to deliver frights. Many of the scariest moments contain no surprise element. The movie simply presents a terrifying image then shoves in down your throat until you gag on the creepiness. If this sounds uncomfortable that's because it is.
After moments like those, the silliness provides a much-needed dash of comic relief to ease the tension. Other times the silliness lulls the audience into a false sense of security before slapping them in the face with something horrifying. This makes for an unpredictable and endlessly entertaining thrill ride.
Entertainment is the primary goal of this movie, perhaps the only goal. With that in mind, don't think too much about how absurdly useless or villainous the adult characters are portrayed. Don't think too much about the one-dimensional and token nature of many child characters. Most of all, don't think too much about how this movie is different from the book (books and movies are separate entities; of course they are going to be different!).
Don't overthink this movie. Just sit back and enjoy the silliness and scares. From the spectacular opening scene to the warm and comforting conclusion, this movie aims to entertain. It delivers.