A love letter to the Stephen King oeuvre and an unforgettable and magical cinematic experience

Rating: 10/10 (7 September 2017)

The hype is a killer, but this movie knocked out of the park nevertheless. People who are saying that this film is not scary have no idea what they are talking about or must be too used to the usual tropes of horror movies of late. This is one of the most unrelenting, upsetting and nastiest (in a good way) children centered movies to ever make it to the big screen. This is HARDCORE Stephen King, with a memorable villain at its center (mesmerizing Bill Skarsgard performance) and a group of kids fighting demons (supernatural and the others) and grappling to figure out the inner workings of social life, learning about solidarity, facing the ugly facts of life and even becoming murderous under certain circumstances, while adults remain scary caricatures in the best Roal Dahl tradition. In more that one way, this is the definitive thesis in fear. You meet the characters through those specific things that they dread the most, and all these fears form a rosary that starts swirling around this enigmatic figure of a deranged clown who "feasts on their flesh and feeds on their fear". Director Andres Muschietti does such a sterling work in highlighting the best of Stephen King prose here that is surely going to bring a tear to the eye of the most devote readers. He takes licenses too, and even make bold choices like the use of the 80's soundtrack which I found exhilarating at times, or the source of blissful release in moments when the dread sank too heavy upon my chest. This is a visceral experience that must be experienced on the big screen but be prepared to have your senses assaulted!. I was riveted, and only at the beginning of the 3rd act the film's momentum seemed to wane slightly, but by the time the character of Beverly wakes up the movie grabbed me again by the throat. Muschietti conjures some seriously unsettling imagery helped by a cgi has an abstract quality to it, like the over-sized Pennywise in one hell of a scene that got the whole audience gasping, or a Modigliani painting come to life; the musical score is also brilliant, as it is the sound design. I feel this movie will be a landmark, for sure is going to be embraced by a new generation and I cannot wait to see the next installment.