Not all that terrifying, but packs a surprising emotional punch.

Rating: 7/10 (7 September 2017)

In a word: Impressive.
This truly has all the right ingredients to be a great movie. Plus, even as a horror remake (despite leaning on serious horror clichés) it is by far the best made yet. However, with the release of Strange Things, you'd be hard pressed not too see the clear (but lacking), similarities between the two mediums.
Furthermore (pretending as if 'Stranger Things' never existed), it owes much to King's other novel/movie adaptation 'Stand by Me' in the 'young kids in the 80's find meaning and maturity in their adventure days' plot line. But lets be clear; even comparing those two greats to this film, should make clear, what class of filmmaking is on display here.
The strongest element of the movie is by far the cast, and they are, by all accounts, rock solid. Truly, you want them too live. Gifted child actors seem to be coming out the wood works these days and how great it is; allowing cinema to opt for a fresh, more unique perspective on old material.
You could call them all idiots for the things they do, but truly, they are kids. They are daring, stupid, timid people. And (with the exception of how often they ignore injuries that require IMMEDIATE medical attention) what they do, never really ring false. On the contrary, very occasionally, their motives register astoundingly believable. And that is a hard thing to pull off in cinema.