It · reception & legacy
2017 · Andy Muschietti
How It has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
A genuine 2017 phenomenon — it shattered September records and became the highest-grossing horror film ever — and unlike most event-horror it's aged well, though its reputation now carries the asterisk of Chapter Two, which almost everyone agrees dropped the ball.
What's debated
The eternal clown-off: Bill Skarsgård vs. Tim Curry's 1990 Pennywise, usually bundled with the complaint that the film leans too hard on CGI jump scares when the kids' hangout scenes are the actual best part.
Its footprint
'You'll float too' and the red balloon instantly entered the horror lexicon — police departments issued warnings about balloons tied to sewer grates as a marketing stunt — and Pennywise's dance became a meme, including his unlikely 2017 internet romance with the Babadook.
Where it stands
The definitive modern Stephen King blockbuster and a gateway horror film for a generation, sitting comfortably in the 'everyone's seen it' tier on Letterboxd.