Stephen King‘s It is still haunting the top 10 films at the box office nearly two months after its release. At this rate, it’s going to take the ritual of Chud to banish Pennywise from theaters. Director Andy Muschietti and the rest of the creative team made a suburb horror film with a talented cast that may stand the test of time. The opening scene from It is now online, and it’s given us a chance to fully appreciate the way that it sets the stage for the horror to come.
The video does skip ahead past the introduction of Bill to focus on Georgie’s emergence from their house during a rainstorm. Benjamin Wallfisch’s score also lulls the audience into a false sense of security by giving the music a sense of wonder and hope. There’s not even a hint of terror until Pennywise’s eyes appear from within the storm drain.
Muschietti wisely avoided the full reveal of Pennywise in this scene, as the close ups of his face were more than enough to convey his true nature. Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd captured Pennywise’s sense of menace so completely that it was very believable when he managed to scare Georgie with just a subtle change of expression. Jackson Robert Scott also deserves credit for his very strong turn as Georgie in this scene. But given Pennywise’s absolutely unsettling appearance, it’s easy to understand why Scott looked genuinely scared.
What did you think about this look back at It‘s opening scene? Scare up some thoughts in the comment section below!
Images: New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Pictures
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