"Scary as sh*t" - the first It movie reactions are in and it's good news for King fans

The most terrifying part of heading into a Stephen King adaptation isn't thinking about the scares ahead, but worrying about the ways the horror maestro's work has been butchered for the silver screen. Cell or Shawshank? The Shining or Dreamcatcher? *shudder*. Well, thankfully the It movie falls firmly into 'hacking down doors with an axe' category. 

Yep, early It movie reactions are in and it sounds like director Andy Muschietti has hit the horrifying sewer water-splashed nail on the head, truly taking the spirit of the books instead of just obsessing over the idea of an evil clown. Our sister publication SFX magazine already has its It review, awarding it four out of five stars and calling it "one of the more satisfyingly nerve-wracking films of the year." There's an excerpt below but you can read the whole review in the latest issue - on sale now. 

This story lives and dies on two crucial elements: the kids and the clown. While Curry’s take from the TV version may forever be ingrained in our collective consciousness, Bill Skarsgård and the movie’s practical and digital effects team do enough to give this version his (its?) own sense of menace and intensity. Lurking in sewer grates to lure unwitting victims, staging elaborate hauntings targeting our heroes’ buried fears and stalking his subterranean lair, Skarsgård doesn’t just let the make-up do the work, instead bringing his own twinkle amid the chills. 

And Muschietti gleefully ramps up the scare level as the film progresses, leavening the more obvious jump scares with a real sense of atmosphere. Sticking to his belief that real-world devices and tricks can be blended with CG, the director subjects his main cast to some devilishly horrifying moments, able to go to places that the TV movie couldn’t touch while making sure that it’s all drawn from character.

If that's not enough to convince you, here's what the rest of the world thinks so far. Oh, and if you don't like Pennywise gifs, maybe look away now...

It's not just the scares that matter

The Losers are the stars and Skarsgard is a true horror  

And yes, you'll still be afraid when you get out

You too can be this scared when the movie opens in cinemas on September 8.