So much has been spoken of this horror flick, an adaptation of the Stephen King novel IT, that I had to see it for myself. What follows is the IT film review where I analyze it.
A group of kids from Derry try and get back at a savage clown, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), who is behind the mysterious disappearance of many of the town’s children.
With a straightforward premise, IT had to have interesting characters as well as well-devised horror sequences if the movie had to be engaging. However, apart from Beverly, none of the characters come off as remotely absorbing. Moreover, Pennywise isn’t as fiendish as you’d like him to be. As a result, when the CGI kicks in, instead of being scared, the audience is inadvertently amused. Nevertheless, IT, to its credit, does have some neatly-orchestrated scenes. However, on most occasions, these are sans Pennywise.
What IT needed was a bit of character development of the kids who were fighting the merciless clown. Beverly is not only the most interesting character in the film, but Sophia Lillis has played it rather well. A greater part of the rest of the acting is amateurish and doesn’t serve the purpose of building an engaging movie. Also, better CGI would have gone a long way in redeeming it.
While a couple of jump scares are effective, that’s never enough. There isn’t any emotional connection that binds you with any of the characters, although with the given storyline there was a distinct possibility of it. Also, with its longish runtime, IT could have better established some of the characters so that the audience could connect with them and thus get into the story, which in this case never happens.
There is also a sense of déjà vu while watching this more than two-hour-long flick. Scenes tend to play out similarly over the course of the film’s runtime, and this heightens the audience’s fatigue.
IT has its moments when it looks like it will be much more than just mediocre. However, on the whole, the movie never picks up with too many issues weighing it down. Stephen King fans who have read his novel IT, will no doubt want to watch the film adaptation. For others, there isn’t much to look forward to over here.
IT film review rating: 
(2.5 / 5)
If you liked the IT film review, please consider sharing it with others.
What do you think?