A good mainstream horror offering

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2019)

Adaptations of Stephen King novels can be hit or miss. Fortunately It: Chapter One is one of the better adaptations. The director Andy Muschietti followed what worked in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (i.e. the visions) and the friendship of Stand By Me. It is far from a scary film but is a good offering as a mainstream horror film because of the relationship and performances from the young actors, giving the film an '80s Spielbergian feel. Muschietti and the writers being able to show the corrupting influence of It on the town. If The Shining is a haunted house film It is a haunted town film.