IT appears to be a half-baked adaptation that had a lot of ground to cover effectively, and thus fell short on major aspects. The scares are less, the thrill is nil, just the strong characters and patent psychological ‘monsters’ keep this horror-thriller afloat.

What saves the film from collapsing is the acting by the children, who are effortlessly natural, whether they are just being boys or just being scared kids. As the object of their combined admiration, but with horrors of her own Lillis is both boldly aware and heartbreakingly fragile.

Muschietti has made one of the best horror movies of the year. It’s funny and warm and touching and frightening and profane and profound. It’s a terrific set-up to what is going to be a restlessly-anticipated Chapter 2.

It floats. You’ll float too.

Indulge in this misadventure if horror works for you in spite of the repetitiveness and the good old mirrors, open doors, shrieks and shrills still scare the daylights out of you. If not, go grab a copy of The Shining and let Jack Nicholson do his job.

The idea of an entity that doesn’t just feed on fear, but that carefully curates it, like the sadistic program director of a Halloween film festival, may not be exactly new. It is, however – like It itself – surprisingly effective.

What works in the film’s favour is that it acts not only as a strong entry by itself but also as a build-up to the inevitable and now essential sequel. Rest assured – King’s nightmare is alive, freaky and endearing at the same time. If you’re a horror fan, don’t miss ‘It’!

Bill and the kids do a fantastic and totally convincing job of drawing the viewer in. The esoteric mix of wonder, danger and learning is quite a potent one. It is both poignant and harrowing!

The less you know about the movie the more you will enjoy it. It’s the kind of film made for everyone, so it’s pertinent that you go and see it now that it’s out in theaters. Be careful walking around water drains though. And if you lose a paper boat around the drain, good luck getting it back.