It (2017)

"Setting out its stall within minutes, the child-centric first chapter of It quickly proves unafraid of inflicting gore on innocent kids and boasts a freaking terrifying Pennywise thanks to Bill Skarsgård, whose swift arrival on screen defies typical convention of building up to reveal a horrific entity. Debates will rage about whether he’ll prove as iconic as Tim Curry, whose pancake makeup was all the more effective for its banality in 1990’s otherwise sub-par mini-series, but Skarsgård’s malevolence and awkward physicality are captivatingly chilling whenever he’s onscreen - and even when his presence is merely anticipated."

"King fans will surely appreciate the clear effort and affection that went into this adaptation, even as it struggles to become more than the sum of its parts."

"The real reason IT works is because it takes time with the kids, revelling in their colourful lingo and comradeship as much as their fears."

"This is an ensemble smorgasbord of scariness, or maybe a portmanteau of petrification, throwing everything but the haunted kitchen-sink at the audience in the cause of freaking us out."

"Comes close to capturing the essence of what this author is all about."

"A nightmarish yet somehow episodic meshing of phobias and primal premises wrapped up into one effective package, guaranteed to haunt you."

"The film works beautifully as a straight-arrow genre piece, and a portrait of young people taking command of their own destiny."

"It is a solid thriller that works best when it is most involved in its adolescent heroes' non-monster-related concerns."

"More successful as a coming-of-age movie than a horror, It still ranks among the better Stephen King adaptations - no small praise indeed."

"There's never a scene in IT that wants you to pause and appreciate how creepy it is; instead, those scenes serve to build tension and illuminate what the characters fear. The pacing, visuals, and score are all exquisite."