The Right Stuff.

Rating: 8/10 (9 September 2017)

It's a brave man who takes on the role of Pennywise the clown after Tim Curry's scene-stealing turn in the original miniseries, but this second adaptation of Stephen King's novel sees Bill Skarsgård making the character his own, turning in a memorably different take on the shape-shifting monster that preys on the kids of Derry, Maine (this time in the summer of 1989).
Buck toothed with glowing eyes, a disquieting voice and a truly sinister smile (plus a few impressive dance moves), Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise sure is the stuff of nightmares, the actor more than deserving of the praise he has garnered. His is not the only great performance in director Andy Muschietti's re-imagining of the King classic: the kids who play the plucky youngsters who fight back against the monster are all excellent, with Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard putting in a particularly memorable turn as wisecracking Richie Tozier (he gets all of the best lines!).
Fright-wise, I can't say that I was ever on the edge of my seat, nor did I jump (years of watching horror films has made me difficult to scare), but I was thoroughly entertained throughout. My daughter, on the other hand, frequently hid her eyes behind her hands, as did the woman sat next to her, so the film clearly had the desired effect on those two.
I rate It an impressive 8 beeps out of 10, and look forward to the next movie.