Chances are, if you haven’t seen it yourself, you have at least one friend who’s gone to see the new “It” reboot and came home raving about it. The film simultaneously embraces age-old horror traditions and introduces new twists to the genre. “It” masterfully entices laughter, cheers and most of all, screams from its viewers. 

Bill Skarsgård’s bone-chilling performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown is nightmare-inducing, and left many viewers pleasantly surprised. The actor had very big clown shoes to fill, left behind by Tim Curry.  

Critics were very skeptical about the reboot, and even more so of the new Pennywise. In the end, Skarsgård pulled through by developing his own take on the character while still paying homage to Curry’s legendary performance. 

This film is so much more than the average horror flick. It’s filled with childhood nostalgia and adventure, mirroring the ambiance of an older Stephen King novel-to-film adaption, “Stand by Me.” The “It” reboot is set in the 1980s, as opposed to the book and 1990 television miniseries, which both take place in the late ‘50s.  

The film covers the first half of the novel, similar to the original miniseries. During this portion of the story, the main protagonists attend middle school in the small fictional town of Derry, Maine. Their town is plagued by an evil entity, referred to as “It,” which appears every 27 years. The creature feeds off of fear, and has the ability to morph into the deepest fears of its prey. Throughout the majority of the film, It maintains the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. 

The characters bond over their shared misfortune of being outcasts, and they’re soon branded as “The Losers Club.” Together, they have to face their darkest fears in order to save their town from It. 

“It” packs as many obscenely funny moments as it does horrifying scenes, but above all, it’s sure to move your heart. 

The film’s sequel is already confirmed and set to release in Sept. 2019. The sequel will take place in present-day, with a new cast playing the adult versions of the protagonists.