Respond to these rapid questions in our It quiz and we will tell you which It character you are. Play it now.
Clowns are creepy no matter what they are dressed as. That’s something we can all agree on, right?
Pennywise, the dancing clown who tracks down and torments the children of a small-town Maine in the film “It,” is, on the other hand, extremely unsettling. At the very least, he appears to be in the most recent adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel. The character was made famous by Tim Curry’s portrayal of him in the 1990 television miniseries version, which was so ridiculously over-the-top that it was laughable—not that you’re looking for understatement in your homicidal clowns, of course.
Bill Skarsgard, on the other hand, does an excellent job with the role precisely because he doesn’t appear to be trying too hard to scare us. He doesn’t spruce things up. He’s coy, and he plays games with these kids, which makes his sudden outbursts of insane clown hostility all the more surprising.
What makes Argentine director Andy Muschietti’s adaptation even more effective than the horror elements in it is the unexpected humor and humanity that Muschietti discovers in it throughout the course of the story. That delicate balance of tones is so difficult to achieve: whether it’s a brief lightening of a tense moment with a quick joke, or an earnest monologue in the face of extreme danger, finding the right combination is difficult. Nevertheless, “It” manages to pull it off almost every time, thanks to perfectly calibrated performances from a carefully chosen cast.
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While the creepy clown scenes will keep you awake at night, the scenes that foster kid bonding are actually more powerful than the scenes that feature the freakish, frilly creature. The film’s so-called “Losers Club” is comprised primarily of unknown actors, led by “Midnight Special” star Jaeden Lieberher, whose everyman (everykid?) appeal grows with each film, and including a star-making performance from Sophia Lillis as the crew’s lone female member. Their characters, on the other hand, are distinct, each with a well-developed backstory that explains why their fears make them so vulnerable to Pennywise’s attacks on the island.
Unlike the novel by Stephen King and the 1990 film adaptation, the screenplay by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga (the acclaimed writer-director of “Sin Nombre” and “Beasts of No Nation”), and Gary Dauberman does not jump back and forth in time like the novel and film. It shifts the action to the years 1988-1989 and keeps our core group of seven kids while they’re still adolescent misfits, which helps to ground their story and make it more immersive for the audience. (“Stranger Things,” another Netflix supernatural mystery series set in small-town America in the 1980s, will almost certainly be compared to this film.”) For those of us who grew up during that time period, the nostalgia factor is strong.)
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Muschietti’s adaptation, on the other hand, begins with Georgie Denbrough (Jackson Robert Scott), an innocent six-year-old who chases after his toy boat as it sails down a gutter and into a storm drain on a rainy afternoon in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. It holds special significance for him because it was given to him as a gift by his beloved older brother, Lieberher’s Bill, who is a bright, skinny kid who struggles with a stutter. That’s why his decision to engage in conversation with Pennywise, who just happens to appear in the sewer with a boat and a smile, results in his tragic death. In his underappreciated 2013 horror film, “Mama,” starring Jessica Chastain, Muschietti employs chilling cutaways to a cat who observes everything from a nearby porch; Muschietti demonstrates the same delicate mastery of mood in this film.
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Bill, on the other hand, believes Georgie has simply gone missing, as has happened to an unusually large number of Derry children over the years. In order to solve this lingering mystery, he enlists the assistance of his posse of similarly bullied, outcast pals: wisecracking trash-talker Richie (Finn Wolfhard, who also happens to be in “Stranger Things”), wimpy mama’s boy Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), nervous rabbi’s son Stanley (Wyelff), heavyset new kid Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), and the tough-but- (Lillis). Eventually, the home-schooled farmhand Mike (Chosen Jacobs), who has suffered racial taunts as the only black kid in town, joins them, bringing the total number of players on the team to seven.
It is even more powerful because of the warm, easy camaraderie between its young stars, despite the many terrifying moments they endure during their quest (scenes that will leave you trembling and giggling at the same time). Certainly, it could be viewed as a straightforward horror film, but the underlying allegory of these characters confronting their deepest fears as they enter adulthood lends the film greater emotional weight—a touch of bittersweet amid the suffering.
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The “Losers Club” tag they wear as a badge of honor refers to the fact that all of these children have lived on the periphery of society, whether as a result of a controlling mother, an abusive father, or a devastating family loss. In addition, they’re all on the verge of something big. Pennywise is well aware of what makes them feel threatened in this precarious state of flux, and he attempts to use his devious, supernatural ability to guide them to their doom. Confronting their fears rather than running away may be the only thing that saves their lives.
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With its eerily similar tone to classic King adaptations of the past, “It” is especially reminiscent of “Stand By Me,” with its ragtag group of kids on a morbid adventure, who put on an air of confidence while affectionately hassling each other to mask their true nerves. Richie, played by Wolfhard, is a profane character with excellent comic timing. Technically, Muschietti resembles early Spielberg, as evidenced by the low camera angles, the images of kids on bikes pedaling furiously in a pack, and the overall sense of wonder and danger that pervades the film.
“It,” on the other hand, could have benefited from some tightening as it builds to its climax. While the imagery in the action-packed third act is undeniably harrowing and even poignant at times, some of it feels dragged out and redundant. It’s also difficult to tell exactly what’s going on during the final confrontation, which takes place in Pennywise’s dark underground lair, despite the impressive visual effects on display as Pennywise unleashes his full powers on his young attackers. (This is just one of many ways in which the new “It” represents a significant improvement over its low-tech predecessor.)
We don’t want to break your bubble, but the closing credits suggest that Pennywise may not be the last time we see him after all!
For more personality quizzes check this: The Leisure Seeker Quiz.
