'It' is really good

Rating: 10/10 (3 October 2017)

Everyone was excited for this movie except me. People were sending me promotional art and movie trailers and, honestly, I didn't care. All the YouTube videos that popped up in my stream included an abundance of people talking about the trailers, I ignored them. Unless it was unavoidable, I didn't watch any of the trailers. Further, years ago, I tried to read the book, but found it unbearably redundant. The 1990 television movie left me unimpressed (outside of seeing a very young Seth Green and Tim Curry's Pennywise).
I dreaded this movie and all the hype just heightened my dread. Everyone seemed pumped for this movie while I was pretty certain it would suck. Honestly, I was wrong. 2017's "It" is a damn fine movie that is not only creepy, but actually did manage a genuine jump scare (I can't remember the last time that happened).
It tells the story of a town in Maine (Stephen King's favorite state to inflict horrors upon) haunted by an evil clown named Pennywise (Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd). The clown feeds on fear thus targets children more than adults. It's never explained why, but it seems safe to assume that it's because children are easier to scare. Everyone is a target, but we mainly follow seven kids (Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, & Wyatt Oleff). These seven are all misfits for one reason or another and all have had issues with the town bully Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton). They soon start having similar visions of a creepy clown. It's how they chose to deal with this revelation that drives the movie.
This movie is a hard R and has some very graphic imagery and lots of bad languages frequently said by children. It's not a children's movie at all, yet I also think it's not bad to take your children if you think they could handle the scary stuff. There's a strong message here about how fear can only get you if you let it. The young cast (all of whom are very talented) help the message connect with a potentially younger audience. The idea that something as terrifying as Pennywise only has as much power over you as you give to it is not a bad message for anyone but especially children.
If I'm forced to levy a complaint, it would be that the story, once again, gets redundant. That's it. Additionally, this movie proves that director Andy Muschietti is a name in horror worth keeping an eye on. Therefore, whether you're looking for a good scares or just a good movie, this is "It".