IT: A Darkly Enriching Horror

When I saw the 1990 TV mini-series, Tim Curry's Pennywise spooked me. I never watched it again. So when the 2017 film released, I had no intentions of seeing it, having been haunted by the sinister clown face. But my daughter insisted on seeing it once it released as a rental so I relented.

Was I spooked again? Yes, of course I was. This Pennywise is just as eerie as the original. In fact, each moment he appears, it's like seeing him for the first time: you are strangely magnetized and creeped out because he emerges from the oddest places and he never shows himself in exactly the same way.

CREEPY FACTOR: 5/5

The kids. The kids are what make this movie engaging. The king of bullies, Henry, is certainly one of the most hideous villains ever seen on screen. In fact, he is so horrific that, in his own way, he's just as deadly as the clown. But there's a group of friends who are tight, and they have to be if they are going to face off with Henry and Pennywise. It's these friends who you find yourself rooting for because they have such sentiment for each other. They are this intriguing blend of personalities that, together, possess a rare kind of grit. So when Pennywise endangers the lives of these teens, their bravery, sense of humor, and endurance allow them to fight against the darkest of evils. And it's these traits that allow you to blink and exhale once again.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5

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