Stephen King's classic novel gets a fresh coat of paint in the first of a new 2-part adaptation which transposes the events from 1950s to 1980s Derry, inspired by the recent nostalgic trend ushered in by Stranger Things. The result is slicker and scarier than what came before, but not any more effective. While the imagery and nightmare fuel is much more aggressive this time around (taking a page from A Nightmare on Elm Street and Sinister), it's missing the heart and charm of the original TV adaptation. While it may be considered superior in many ways, what King's works come down to at the end of the day are characters, and this lacks a lot of the chemistry and interactions between the Losers' Club which made that earlier film feel special.
Nevertheless, Bill Skarsgård steals the show as Pennywise, portraying him as much more sadistic and demonic than Tim Curry's version. It still manages to capture that scary feeling of being a kid, where domestic terror creeps around every corner. Since Derry's curse comes around every 27 years, this was followed up by It: Chapter Two in 2019.
3½ slide projectors out of 5
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