It is a solid horror flick with engrossing performances.

Rating: 8/10 (27 February 2018)

We finally have a decent Stephen King adaptation this year (sorry The Dark Tower). The hype for this has been absurd, with an incredible marketing campaign it was bound to entice many. I like to think I'm experienced enough not to get pulled into the hype and watch this with a clear mind, to which I shall agree with most and say this is a damn entertaining horror. A town experiences several children going missing, a group of kids referred to as 'The Losers' take it upon themselves to investigate. It would be too easy to class 'It' as a simple horror film, it's so much more. A story about overcoming fears and maturing from teenagers to adulthood. The power of friendship and the courageous bonds that it creates. Exquisite performances from all the young actors in 'The Losers' gang. I typically hate an all child cast but this worked so well. Clearly harking back to 80's coming-of-age classics like Stand By Me and The Goonies but with the addition of horror elements. The scenes of terror focussed on being creepy rather than constant jump scares (although, still ever present). The problem was, the two genres never really blended until the final act. The narrative structure felt too mechanical in execution switching back and forth between horror and young adult drama. Pennywise the Dancing Clown I'm sure will invoke nightmares for many, played brilliantly by Bill Skarsgård. Very different in comparison to the original adaptation, I found him refreshingly ominous and chilling. Especially the scene involving the photo slides in the garage...damnnnnn that gave me the tinkles. Excellent screenplay that gives 'The Losers' plenty of personality. Great banter between them, found that relatable in my old school gang (I miss those days). The final act was slightly rushed and messy. I grew immune to the scares, and looks like 'The Losers' did too. The visual effects were also hit and miss, again looked untidy in the finale. However, 'It' is one of the most entertaining films this year and is sure to scare many of you.