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It is a retelling of the Stephen King classic, updating for modern day, in a way. Instead of the kids living in the 50s, they live in the 80s. This makes sense considering this film adaptation is being split in two. This first part focuses solely on the characters as kids, while the upcoming sequel will focus on the characters as adults. I would like to start with the negatives I had towards this movie because they were really just minor nitpicks. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the slow motion used in the movie. It never really felt like it added to the story, or that it was even all that necessary. Other than that, I think this movie improves on the original just about every way possible. In the original, you only saw one group of bullies target all of these kids. In this one, you actually get a little more on how cruel middle and high school girls can really be in addition to the stereotypical bullies. A lot of the characters feel more fleshed out. You actually see and understand their fears a lot better in this movie. The scares work better because, in a lot of ways, they feel more psychological. It also helps that the kids who make up the Losers’ club genuinely feel like people you know, whether you knew people who were like them, or were a person who was like them. The main bully is done a lot better in this movie as well. They actually show why he is a bully at all, and make him somewhat sympathetic. Pennywise is a fantastic villain in this movie, and is played to perfection by Bill Skarsgard. He doesn’t appear that much throughout the movie in the grand scheme of things, but you can always feel his presence. I loved Tim Curry in the original, but he felt a lot more like a creepy guy dressed up like a clown. Pennywise in this movie feels more like an otherworldly creature that’s pretending to be human. It feels much more off-putting and creepy. Overall, It works because of strong characters and performances despite some minor nitpicks.

9 / 10