Not what you expect - in more ways than one.

Rating: 8/10 (24 October 2019)

I think a lot of people walked out of the movies disappointed after seeing this movie, but I don't think it's cause they had just seen a bad movie. It's cause it isn't what you expect it to be. So lets get it over with right away: This isn't a scary movie. It's not scary, it's not going to give you nightmares, it doesn't even have the jump scares that makes you flinch in your seat.
However, it is a movie with unexpectedly strong character arcs. In flashbacks, which are nicely woven into the movie, we see how the characters that seems grown up and successful in their modern selfs are actually stuck in the past. Pennywise feels less like an actual threat, and more like a metaphor of how they're hunted by the destructive and abusive relationships they had with other people in the past. There's also scenes which are downright funny, which also play on the actors chemistry with each other.
James Ransone really does a stellar job to portray the slightly neurotic and foulmouthed Eddie, and he steal the show several times. Bill Hader surprised me with his performance and one of the most heartbreakingly bitter-sweet ending scenes I can remember.
This is a good movie, but not if you want to be scared.