What is the series trying to be?
So I just finished watching it, and I'm lowkey dissapointed. I don't necessarily hate it, but it could've been done differently
As a horror fanatic and original fan of first movie It (2017), I went in expecting more so eldritch horror. Tbh I thought it was going to be an anthological series.
It just seems like the theme is all over the place. Like the director was trying to fulfil their dream movie production in a production that isn't the genre they'd prefer to be in.
I can count at least 4 themes in this movie:
• The first is the Old Timey/History fiction. Specifically about civilan life in pre war times (with the whole millitary base near the town and all). I ddin't hate the theme but it was out of ordinary for what I expected.
• The second I noticed is dissapointingly just a tang of the original It theme. Him visiting unsuspectong victims and terrorizing them. Which I loved relishing in the first episode, but the series got so diluted in the theme inconsistency that the scares barely if ever, did anything for me.
• Another is the, millitary finds biological weapon then tries to control it, trope. This just feels wrong for what genre the show is supposed to be in. Introducing another antagonistic but human agent that attempts to control the supernatural agent just diluted any scare factor.
• Social injustice undertones. This isn't a problem as I'd consider it part of the old timey theme, but it's often lingering long enough to be noticed but not addressed enough to gratify the audience with any justice or meaningful acknowledgment and it's frustrating. I guess you would say it's a realistic take on what it would be like in those times, but again among the other themes in this show at least this one could've been rectified.
• Alien/superntural slasher. Though it's been addressed Pennywise is an alien of sorts they still treat him as sort of a supernatural being who is susceptible to human rationalization with their own cultural beliefes (the thing with the whole native community) I mean I guess it did make sense that they used the stones to ward him off, but it seemed like he, an alien, somehow was susceptible to their rituals. And also with this power Dick has. And the scares and kills feel more like slasher than terrifying and moderately ambiguous like it used to be.
TLDR; I'm not quite sure what it wants to be. It's okay when shows have a collection of themes as it would be a reality. But this seems like each theme is scuffling with each other to be the dominant one, where as horror is supposed to take the win (it doesn't) I don't even mind not being 'jumpscare' scared, but I just did not feel any horror element in it's entirety. Would do well if presented as the second theme though.