Modern adaptation of Stephen King's legendary tale of horror tightly grips audiences for a terrifying experience

Rating: 9/10 (6 October 2017)

It was 1990 when Stephen King's killer clown jumped from the pages of his acclaimed novel and made his debut in the celluloid with the hit mini-series 'It'. The chilling scare factor that made the series a hit, however, has slowly diminished over the past many years by its outdated effects and horribly aged scares. That is why it is up to director Andy Muschietti, the man responsible for 'Mama', to honor the nostalgia of the killer clown we all know as Pennywise with this contemporary adaptation of King's acclaimed source material. Crafted with an absorbing blend of spine-chilling scares and shocking emotional touch while defying against cookie-cutter clichés, this film straps audiences in for a genuinely terrifying experience. With director Muschietti taking on the source material with a grimmer and more psychological approach, the final product is an absorbing taste of effective scares mixed with solid characterization and an emotionally stimulating many horror films tend to neglect. Set in 1989 in town of Derry, the film focuses on a group of bullied middle-school children consisting of Bill (played by Jaeden Lieberher), Richie (played by Finn Wolfhard), Eddie (played by Jack Dylan Grazer), Beverly (played by Sophia Lillis), Ben (played by Jeremy Ray Taylor), Stanley (played by Wyatt Oleff), and later joined by Mike (played by Chosen Jacobs); as they scout through their town in search of Bill's younger brother Georgie who has mysteriously disappeared. The kids soon find their lives spinning dangerously out of control when they are haunted by the devious little clown Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgard) who threatens their very existences.
He's mean, he's scary, and he has a rude thirst for flesh and blood that makes him everyone's worst nightmare. For kids, teens, and even adults with a fear of clowns, the eponymous clown operates as an uproaring force that dares to leave viewers squirming in their seats. This is purely demonstrated in the opening scene when a little boy loses his paper boat in the gutter, only to be paid an unwelcoming visit by the devious clown. The atmosphere warmly lets up from there, but only temporarily and the majority of that time swaying away from the scare tactics is dedicated to setting up the characters, establishing their backgrounds and chemistry with each other that captures the innocence of childhood. The strongest element of character development comes from Jaeden Lieberher's Bill, a young boy who scarred the disappearance of his little brother and constantly defies against the possibility that he may be dead. It is an element is that is handled with subtly and pays off with an emotionally powerful resonance during the final sequence. The film carries an ambition in the character department that allows us to grow an emotional attachment for the children when the story eventually strolls into a spine-chilling scare-fest once the youngsters are forced to confront against the terrifying monster of a clown. Each scene the sinister clown storms on screen roars with a palpable sense of terror that pierces the heart as the vulnerability of the kids is heavily amped up with psychological thrills and jump scares that work almost consistently. And the hair-raising performance by Bill Skarsgard is partly to thank for this, channeling a sinister demeanor that manages excel above what Tim Curry showcased in the 1990 mini-series. As for the kids, they are all do pretty fine job never letting their talents go to waste. Whether they are cracking funny (and vulgar) one-liners like many kids do when their parents are not around or screaming their hearts out at the terror that lurks them, these children show they have what it takes to let themselves shine.
"It" is a profoundly terrifying experience that respectfully honors Stephen King's source material. Among many of Hollywood's attempts at translating King's works to the big screen, this one genuinely stands out among many. It is an entertaining and carries a strong muscle for splashes moviegoers with a powerfully effective horror experience that really works.