Robert Scott
Reporter

Audiences all over America flocked to theaters to see the film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 novel “IT.”

The novel had previously been adapted as a miniseries in 1990 but with the television
constraints, many of the core themes of the novel were not able to be explored. The film, however, definitely does not shy away from them.

“IT” begins in the year 1988 in the town of Derry, Maine. A tragic event occurs, and then there is
a time jump to June 1989. The story follows Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher) and his rag-tag
group of friends, “The Losers Club,” as they face off with an ancient evil.

The selling point in the film was definitely the acting. Bill Skarsgård delivers a haunting
performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and “The Losers Club” is perhaps the most
accurate on-screen portrayal of children I have ever seen. Their dialogue and disregard for the
rules perfectly illustrate how almost all kids act when they are not around their parents.
The film also has substantial character development that is largely absent from the horror genre
in general. Most horror films tend to focus on a random group of vulnerable people who are
thrown into a situation where they are at the will of some maniacal force. However, the children
are the focus in this movie, which allows the audience to experience more of the psychological
effects that “IT” has on them.

“IT” has all of the features of a great horror movie. There are enough jump scares and
psychological horror moments that no one should leave the theater unscathed. I believe that
Pennywise will haunt people’s dreams for years to come. I might even go so far as to call him
this generation’s Freddy Krueger.