Twenty seven years ago, Stephen King’s novel “It” was adapted into one of the most influential horror movies of it’s time – turning the clown into one of society’s scariest phobias. Today, director Andy Muschietti brings Pennywise the Clown back to the big screen and back into our fears in this incredible remake!
So, what makes this new “It” movie great? This movie has many elements that make a horror movie great. Qualities like dynamic characters and true suspense are just two of the components that make It a great thrill ride. Let’s discuss the characters first. The story follows the Losers Club, a group of seven young friends who join together to fight their fears and the entity terrorizing their town of Derry. Not only do these child actors bring the characters to life, almost instantly, you can find at least one relatable character. They even bring a surprising amount of humor to this movie, developing their characters deeper and making them even more likeable. Easily, the Losers Club is one of the best parts in this movie. So why are good characters important qualities in a horror movie?
Horror movies are meant to be intense. When you have characters that are cliche, lazy, boring, why should we care if they’re in terrifying peril? Of course, some stories (like short stories for example) can create tension and suspense even without the need for developing characters, and there are more factors that go into great suspense. However, a story like this can use that to an incredible advantage; and It does an incredible job at this.
When the movie isn’t terrifying you, the characters are put into scenes with gripping tension and suspense. This movie will not bore you; It is incredibly intense. With these unique characters established in this story, they just make everything more stressful to watch when pennywise shows his face.
Now, suspense and characters are nice, but what about the scares? How scary is It? Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Is It the scariest movie ever? No, but does It do it’s job very well? Indeed! Many scenes in It show the characters being terrorized by their own fears creatively. You won’t see many of these scares coming, but when you do, you’re going to feel pinned to the back of your seat in fear with a hope that the scene will end.
Now for the climax. I won’t spoil anything, but the climax does not get the credit that it deserves. Seeing all these Losers come together to fight back is awesome! It brings all the great qualities of the movie: suspense, horror, characters, and wraps it all up into a killer ending! Then when the horror was over, it ends on a heartwarming note. Even when the credits rolled, I was already hyped for the next movie, because this is only part one of the story.