Great performances, heartfelt narrative

Rating: 8/10 (17 September 2017)

The lead-up to this film was so full of anticipation and excitement, and as a massive Stephen King fan myself I was looking forward to seeing how the film adaptation would compare to the infamous 1986 horror novel. Following IT's release, the most popular question on everyone's lips was, "Is Pennywise the Dancing Clown scary?".
In short, yes. Bill Skarsgard does an exceptional job in portraying the demonic and downright evil clown who feeds on children and their fears. The makeup and CGI combined is highly efficient and well edited, and not at all overdone or obvious to the viewer, making him both intriguing and utterly terrifying simultaneously. Director Andy Muschietti has done an excellent job of creating tense and beautifully shot moments. During the duration of the run time, I found myself consistently resisting the urge to cover my eyes and ears for fear of being caught off guard.
However, by a long stretch the highlight of the film, for me at least, is the kids. Each character is unique and intriguing and brings something to the group. Because these children are mostly left to fight for themselves given that the adults around them are completely oblivious to the evil lurking in the sewers, it gives the film an underdog feel and as a viewer you feel connected to the characters. This movie is also inherently funny, and I found myself laughing out loud at the numerous wisecracks and one-liners from the get-go. It's always tough to harshly judge young child actors on their abilities, and luckily I won't need to here due to high quality, raw performances from every young actor in this movie. Particular standout performances are from lead Jaeden Lieberher (The Book of Henry) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), whose comedic timing is second to none. Watching this also brought me a sense of nostalgia for my childhood, and the feeling you get when great friends surround you on a big adventure.
As a fan of the novel, I was not disappointed and can agree with critics in saying that this film both pays tribute to the book and cleverly omits unnecessary portions of the narrative to make for better viewing. I highly recommend checking this movie out if you haven't already and am looking forward to seeing what the director does next (IT - Chapter Two?).