'It' Proves Humans Are Just as Terrifying as Killer Clowns

Clowns. Why did It have to be clowns?

Okay, so maybe that isn't an original hook. However, what is original is the concept that lives in the underbelly of It, the 2017 remake of the Stephen King adaptation.

Most people. when they see or hear about a horror movie, think, "What can I possibly take from this aside from a reoccurring nightmare?" And, for the most part, they would be right. Horror movies are intended solely for the purpose of unraveling its audience like onions -- and that's what draws people in. This innate drive dates all the way back to Rome and the Colosseum. Hundreds upon thousands of spectators would flock to one dome to see Gladiators battle for their lives. Why? We want to see stuff like that. We may be tamer as a society now, but think about it: MMA, UFC, Wrestling. They're all physically demanding and incredibly bloody sports. I'm almost positive Romans waited overnight to get the splash-zone seats in the Colosseum.

While going to the movies isn't as extreme as watching Gladiators, seeing horror films gives some the same kind of exhilarating thrill. We want to turn away, but we just can't.

But It presents a different take on horror, in that it's what's above ground that terrifies you.

Take Eddie, for example. Eddie goes through the whole movie believing he's asthmatic and has some sort of illness he's unaware of until Beverly's school bully informs him at the pharmacy that they're placebos. When he tries to ask his mom about it - the same mom who forcibly tore him away from his friends because she thought they were "bad influences" on him (all the while Ben is bleeding from his stomach, no less - God, he deserved better) - she denies this and it turns out, she's just trying to keep him captive. This is a clear path of child abuse that proves to be both disturbing and inhumane.

The same can be said for Beverly's father, who is clearly physically and sexually abusive towards Beverly. Every single time he came on the screen, my whole body tightened -- more so than with Pennywise's scenes. At least Pennywise is lurking in sewers, something that's clearly unusual. But what happens when the monsters are inside these kids' own homes?

That's what Pennywise, as we learned, gains and loses his power from: Fear. And these two characters couldn't have been a more perfect example of the horrors of not what's outside their homes, deep within the sewer system, but within their own homes. The scene that really showcases this is when Pennywise is strangling Beverley and she quotes with conviction we haven't seen in her before, "I'm not afraid of you."

Fear even consumes Henry Bowers, the school bully (and budding serial killer). As much as I detested him, he's crucial to the story line, because while he added to the kids' fear, he too had his demons that he let Pennywise take to his advantage in killing his father. Had he resisted - had he been unafraid of whatever he was holding onto - he wouldn't have fallen victim to Pennywise's manipulation.

All things considered, It is a solid movie with a phenomenal cast of characters - characters that actually develop emotionally throughout the movie - and story line far exceeding the expectations of a standard "horror" movie.

That being said, perhaps we can all learn a little something about conquering our fears from this film - be it... well, It, or something deeper.

(But even so, if a red balloon appears out of nowhere, don't follow it. It can only lead you to your doom - which, sadly, doesn't include popcorn.)