10 Unexpectedly Awesome 2017 Movies Everyone Thought Would Suck
10. It
Why It Should've Sucked: Ahead of its release, there was a ton of hand-wringing from fans of the 1990 Tim Curry TV movie that this new adaptation, from Mama director Andy Muschietti no less, would fall short of the original's iconic appeal.
Plus, considering that original writer-director Cary Fukunaga quit due to "creative differences", it seemed likely that Warner Bros. was seeking to lean away from the riskier aspects of Stephen King's novel and aim for a more generic, easily marketable horror flick.
Why It Was Awesome: It actually turned out to be one of the best big-budget studio horror films of the last few years, a slickly stylish, bracingly intense and superbly acted film that did an admirable job highlighting the real, human terror of the source material.
So well-executed was the film that it even left fans cautiously optimistic for the upcoming second part, which with its adult-centric story and sillier shenanigans will prove much more challenging to adapt.
Plus, if you've not seen the TV movie recently, watch it again: it hasn't aged well, and this glossy update effortlessly smokes it.