CinemaNerdz

The Preview Reel: Pennywise Terrorizes Reese

Scott Davis
The Preview Reel

Welcome to this week’s “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. After a couple of historically bad weeks at the box office, we finally have not one, but two new nationwide releases. The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s reign will certainly end as the highly anticipated Stephen King adaptation, It, hits screens. Acting as a bit of counter-programming, Reese Witherspoon’s Home Again aims to attract audiences who don’t want to be scared.

 

It

What we are excited about: Straight up, this movie looks terrifying. From the Pennywise makeup and costume design, to the nostalgic feel and creepy imagery, everything about this movie looks scary. Director Andres Muschietti seems to have nailed both the scares that are necessary in horror films while putting a unique spin on the material. Of course, this is all based off the trailers and the movie itself could just be bland, much like what happened with Muschietti’s other film, Mama, but we’re hoping he rises to the occasion here. The same could be said about Bill Skarsgard, who hasn’t had the most amazing career, but we’re hoping he also rises to the occasion to deliver a terrifying performance as Pennywise.

What we are worried about: There’s not much we’re worried about with this movie, but the runtime of 135 minutes does concern us a little bit. The better horror movies usually land in the 90-110 minute range, so we’re hoping It doesn’t overstay its welcome.

The Buzz: The moviegoing audience is hungry for a hit. The Hitman’s Bodyguard won three straight weeks, but none of those weeks were terribly impressive. It seems to be coming out at the perfect time as the trailers have gotten people excited and there is almost literally nothing else out. Garnering amazing reviews so far, 96% on RottenTomatoes and 71 on MetaCritic, this movie is almost guaranteed to beat the September opening weekend record set by Hotel Transylvania 2 a couple of years ago when it opened to $48.5 million. It will almost certainly reach $60 million, if not more.

Final Thoughts: We’ve had a rough few weeks at the cineplexes, but we finally have a movie that looks worthy of a trip to the theater.

 

Home Again

What we are excited about: Our money is going to be spent on It, but if horror movies aren’t your thing and you still want to go out to see a movie, then Home Again could be a pleasant time in the theater for you. Romantic comedies have been very mediocre this year, with the exception being The Big Sick, and this could satisfy those looking for a sweet one. Reese Witherspoon has been a staple in the rom-com genre, but this is her first big one in a few years after focusing on more serious projects like Wild and HBO’s Big Little Lies. It might not be aimed at us, but Home Again could be a pleasant surprise for its targeted audience.

What we are worried about: The trailer is all over the place and the plot seems ridiculous, but again, it’s not aimed at us. Movies like The Big Sick have universal appeal because they seem honest and heartfelt, while Home Again appears contrived and manipulative towards its target audience. We’d much rather spend two hours with a creepy clown than with Reese Witherspoon dealing with a mid-life crisis.

The Buzz: All the buzz this week is on Pennywise, so this movie is kind of getting lost in the shuffle. With poor reviews, 20% on RottenTomatoes and 38 on MetaCritic, Home Again is destined to be forgotten. Look for an opening under $10 million.

Final Thoughts: Pennywise > Reese Witherspoon in a generic romantic comedy.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.
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