Regardless of whether or not horror movies are your thing, the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s It is sure to give even the most courageous of Pelicans goosebumps.

The film surpasses expectations of a typical horror film, focusing on character development rather than jump scares. The movie follows a group of misfit kids in the town of Derry, Maine who are being tormented by the murderous and chilling clown, Pennywise. These members of the self-named, “Losers Club” are forced to confront their fears and, in doing so, discover that they are a whole lot tougher than they thought they were.

Something strange is happening in Derry. The children are disappearing. In fact this has been happening every 27 years for centuries. Billy is an insecure, stuttering teen, who lost his brother, Georgie — a victim of the murderous, shape-shifting clown — a year earlier. Now on a mission to find out what happened to his brother, Billy leads the kids closer and closer to Pennywise. After several dangerous encounters, the terrified kids have second thoughts about following Billy. However, when one of the members of the Losers Club, Beverly, gets taken, they all reluctantly spring into action.

This is the apex of the film because this is when the story departs from most horror films. When the kids finally reach Pennywise and Beverly deep in the sewer, the story veers into the fantasy realm as they realize the evil clown can assumes the appearance of whatever terrorizes them most. It is here that the kids realize that if they can overcome their fears and come together as a unit to defeat Pennywise.

The Losers Club members all have their own unique character arcs that tie together in the final scene, and it is within this character struggle that It sets itself apart from other films of its genre. And boy, does it pay off in one fell swoop.

Without spoiling the ending, let’s just say that since the original plot was written by renowned author Stephen King, who is known for his psychological twists and turns, It is engaging and thrilling.

Overall, the movie was a success because it didn’t fall into the cookie cutter mold of a modern horror film.

It is Halloween, the season of the witch, and if you are looking for a thrilling film to make your blood run cold, It is a good scare, that catches your attention with interesting characters and plot, and has quality special effects. Just make sure that the person sitting next to you doesn’t have a big red nose and a painted on face. You might never make it out of the theatre!