It

First thing's first, my advice to anyone going into this film hoping for a full-on horror is that you shouldn't... or you'll be very disappointed. Aside from the hilarious comedy, the film really is more of a dark fantasy/thriller. Don't get me wrong, there are some scary scenes, but for the most part, the horror is psychological. To get a better sense of how the film feels, I've read someone describe the film as an "Ultraviolent Beetlejuice with a side of Goonies and Stand By Me", which perfectly encapsulates the tone. The film has hints of Tim Burton influences throughout and the coming-of-age subplot is hard to miss. With that being said, I think the most enjoyable part of this film is the child characters and the portrayals of them. Finally, a movie that actually shows you how kids ACTUALLY talk. We swear, we're vulgar, obscene amount of sex jokes, etc. The kids felt like kids without getting too cheesy, and as an audience member I was able to indulge in the film way more comfortably. The acting for the film is great all around, really, as Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise is menacing, sadistic, and otherwordly. However, far from Tim Curry's portrayal, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Where Curry's Pennywise seemed more real in the sense that you'd actually believe he's a human in a clown costume and therefore someone who may actually be kind, disguising his real intentions behind his goofy demeanour. On the other hand, Skarsgård doesn't have that. Like I mentioned before, he's otherworldy... twisted and supernatural. The empty look he makes at times really gets me. All in all, both Pennywises are creepy in their own ways and both are admirable interpretations of the demonic clown. Curry will always have a special place in my heart though. On the technical side, the film was shot well. You'll hear many people compare this movie to 'Stranger Things' which is an apt comparison. Nothing gave me reason to believe that these kids weren't living in the '80s. From the costume to set design, from soundtrack to the kids' pop culture references, the film does a phenomenal job of grounding this film in the appropriate era.