After months of waiting, I finally saw what I now consider to be my favorite horror movie, Stephen King's "IT", directed by Andy Mschietti. I went into the packed theater with a humble, open-mind. I wanted the movie to be good, but I kept a little doubt that it wouldn't be as great as it should be.
Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. "IT" truly went above my expectations; from the mysterious story to all the technical aspects. Whoever is too scared to watch this movie would be truly missing out on what horror films should be: a thoughtful, imaginative film that doesn't always rely on jump scares.
Personally, I didn't get scared from the jump scares that are within this movie, mainly because it was obvious when they were going to happen. If I didn't know any better, I would have probably been startled like everyone else in my theater.
Even though there are horrific scenes throughout the whole movie with the clown, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), I would classify this film more of a thriller because of how intense the atmosphere was both on-screen and in the theater. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, gripping onto the arm rests as they mentally screamed "Don't go in there!" to our seven beloved characters.
What made "IT" stand out to all of the horror films I've seen was the strong, empowering message Stephen King gave at the end: look at your deepest, darkest fears in the eye and say that you're not scared. I think all of us in that theater did just that. We purchased a ticket to see one of the most feared movies of this year and walked out, not scared.
You can't say that with other survival horror movies like "Babadook" or "It Follows" because their endings don't give that much closure to the audience. In both movies, the monster didn't win or lose. It would just show the aftermath of the incident and then the film would be over.
What I'm trying to say is that "IT" went above the horror movie convention I expected it to follow. It actually taught me not to be afraid and gave me a sense of pride in overcoming the fear of watching it.
That is how I know between a good movie versus a great one. Even though "IT" may be a great horror movie, it still has some horror movie clichés. However, the clichés in this weren't as bad as they could have been, and I think all the other elements this film has over shined its flaws.
The performances from all the actors, especially from Bill Skarsgard and Finn Wolfhard, were on point.Skarsgard OWNED his role and was incredibly entertaining to watch (when he wasn't used as a jump scare at least). All of his dialogue was so intriguing. No wonder poor little Georgie fell for his performance!
You may have heard of Finn Wolfhard from his role as Mike Wheeler in the Netflix Original series, "Stranger Things". After watching "Stranger Things", I didn't think he could get any better in playing a role. When I saw him play Richie Tozier in "IT", I was pleasantly surprised.
His performance was hilarious and everyone loved every scene as well as the relatable dialogue he threw out there. It certainly relieved the tension that was in the air and made the film that much more entertaining.
"IT" is a horror movie done right and I recommend everyone face their fears and go see this movie. It's certainly a film you don't want to miss and a lot of fun to see.
