Rating: 7/10

VERDICT: “It” is worth the $8.50 that it will cost to see it, and is highly recommended for the combination of horror and human elements. I recommend watching the movie before 6 pm for two reasons: you only pay $7.00 and you are not watching it at night.

REVIEW: When people are asked what scares them the most, although it seems random, a very common answer is clowns. This could be what made Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel “It” such a success. Or, it could be the creepy storyline that kept countless people awake at night. Or, it could have been the combination of scary scenes with the scenes showcasing the friendship and bonds between the bullied tweens. Or, most likely, it was the mix of all of these elements. These elements that made the novel so successful are all showcased in the “It” movie, directed by the Argentine director Andy Muschietti.

Although “It”  lacks jump scares, it makes up for that in its chilling rendering of Pennywise the Clown, portrayed by the Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård.

Pennywise’s appearance and mannerisms will keep you up late at night, unable to fall asleep, because of the over-the-top, out-of-control nature that he exhibits. Additionally, the city of Derry, Maine, will begin to seem like a hell on earth as the statistics behind the missing children are revealed throughout the movie.

The movie has light moments, but the overall mood is quite dark, and the moviegoer will be more than happy to get a breath of fresh air after the movie’s conclusion.

“It” is a horror movie, but that is not all there is to it. The film focuses on the bond that a group of junior high students share with each other as they confront the kidnapping and murdering Pennywise together. The group of children are all bullied at school, and choose to team up against Pennywise to get to the bottom of why Derry has had so many children missing and put an end to the kidnappings.

Throughout the movie, the children have fights and disagreements over whether their struggle is worth it, but these disagreements serve to stronger the bond between them and help them to realize the importance of friendship.

However, there are also a  few shortcomings. The first is that a few of the fight scenes between Pennywise and the children can be confusing as the the camera angles shift so quickly that the audience can lose track of which character is where in the house and what exactly is happening to them. Also, none of the backgrounds of the children are really explored. It would have been interesting to know why exactly the children were bullied and for how long they had been dealing with it.

Overall, “It” is a movie that will both scare you and move you emotionally, a combination not common in movies. But Muschietti pulls this off without it ever feeling forced. “It” is a great movie to sit down to on an afternoon, or, if you are especially brave, late at night. But good luck sleeping if you watch it at night. Pennywise may just visit you in your dreams.