Thoroughly entertaining, though not horrifying.

Rating: 8/10 (21 June 2018)

'It' was one of my most anticipated movies of 2017 and coming out of this movie I was thoroughly impressed with the result. Andy Muschietti brings this Stephen King classic back to life with a well directed and fresh take on the story, while also remaining pretty faithful to the source material.
This movie definitely represents the weird and wonderful side of the horror genre, which is one of the things I love about 'It'. As a Stephen King adaptation, the film stands as a very intriguing and creative concept. A group of outcast kids bound together to defeat a nightmarish killer clown baiting them through they're personal fears. This makes for a diverse range of horror, as we see Pennywise the clown shape-shift into whatever scares his prey. His prey being the children of Derry of course. The group of kids we follow are all superb actors, it's nice to see another film added to the roster of proof that age doesn't stand in the way of great performances. Their chemistry between each other is for me what really brings the film together, and is the heart of the film. There's something about that coming of age element of the film that creates almost a nostalgic and relatable quality.
Bill Skarsgård makes the role of Pennywise his own. I still love and appreciate the Tim curry representation of the character, though Bill adds traits to the character of Pennywise that make the two versions incomparable. This version still retains a certain level of fun and joy, though delivers a creepy and unsettling feel in every scene he's in. I've never been and am still not scared of clowns, though I love everything that Bill brought to the character and was entertained every time he was on screen. When it comes down to the scare factor, I'll admit that I was not terrified. There's certainly some unnerving elements to the film (you'll know when you see them) which of course make the most of the R rating the film obtains, but 'It' just didn't give me those nightmares I was so hoping for.
On an aesthetic level this film looks great, theres some really nice cinematography that just makes it a pleasure to watch. Straight away with the opening scene the use of various camera shots in a rainy storm are outstanding and perfectly set the tone for the film. The use of location is stellar, and that's where the synergy between cinematography and set design paint the perfect picture for the movie. Where practical effects and makeup are used, it's on point. Though sometimes the film relies on CGI a little too much, which actually takes away from the scare.
'It' is a visually pleasing and thoroughly entertaining film with a great cast and impressive performances all round. It's overuse of unconvincing visual effects and the inability to keep me up at night are a bit of a downer for sure, yet the film is surprisingly very fun, well paced and does have it's sinister moments. Not the most horrifying of horrors, but the story itself had me hooked till the end.