An enjoyable and well made horror film (you read that right)

Rating: 7/10 (6 September 2017)

I went into 'It' with the potential to absolutely love it, or absolutely hate it. The horror genre has been on life-support in my opinion for a long time. So even the mention of expected quality behind a horror film is greeted with skepticism. However the trailers looked promising and an 'R' rating was incredibly pleasing to see. So what was the actual result? Certainly more positives than negatives.
The film starts with a scene which sets the tone for the entire film. I had actually seen the majority of this scene in a "Presented by Stephen King" prior to another film I had seen in the cinema. The scene cut off before the end though and I have been wondering ever since exactly how it was going to play out. I finally got to find out this morning and I was very pleased. This scene works perfectly to infuse the audience with the notion that 'It' is indeed a genuine threat to each and every character.
The things I liked most about the film:
* The look of 'Pennywise' - he was genuinely intimidating, mysterious and captivating to watch.
* The set designs - rarely do I notice things like this on the first viewing of a film, however on this occasion it was impossible not to. They were impressive.
* The cast of children - in particular Finn Wolfhard showed class beyond his years in being the funny guy of the film.
* The pacing - while this has a very long run time for a horror movie, it never really feels like it. To say it is non-stop action is probably going a step too far, but it's not far off it. 'Pennywise' was in the film a lot more than I expected which helped with this.
The things I didn't like as much:
* At times it feels like it is trying a little too hard - for the most part there is a level of subtlety in most scenes, however just on occasion they get a little too in your face with the scare they are trying to give you.
* Also (and I'm sure there was a reason for this) I didn't like the fact that there wasn't a single likable adult in the film. In fact every single adult in the film is outwardly unlikable. This wouldn't have been done by mistake, but it is still a very depressing and unrealistic aspect of the film.
Altogether though 'It' is a very good horror film. There's definitely the usual substance of a Stephen King film, while still managing to fit in more than enough scares and suspense to keep any type of audience members happy. If you're as disillusioned by the horror genre as I am then make sure you see 'It'. It might just give you an air of hope like it has done for me.