It remake takes on life of its own as comedy, horror

A movie was released this fall that grossed $478 million worldwide.

It broke records within 24 hours of its release and captured audiences across the globe.

The movie was It.

Based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel of the same name, the story follows a group of children living in Derry, Maine, a town known for its high rate of unsolved disappearances.

In fact, the main character, “Bill Denbrough” (played by Jaeden Lieberher) has just lost his own younger brother in a mysterious rainy disappearance.

Bill goes on to lead a group of neighborhood losers as they investigate the disappearances themselves.

These self-proclaimed members of the “Losers Club” are the perfect guides for anyone nervous about the scares in the film.

The children are constantly charming, and their spunk in the face of a horrifying clown cannibal helps tone down the gruesome images sprinkled throughout the action.

It is technically an R-rated horror film, but the gentle balance of the ensemble of children with Bill Skarsgård’s captivating performance as “Pennywise” tones down a lot of the scary parts.

The first few jump scares are effective. But part of the fun is the laughter that follows each yelp, as you shake off the suddenly unnecessary emotional inertia of the suspenseful storytelling. I suggest treating the whole thing like a comedy. I found it surprisingly easy to turn my screams into smiles.

Part of the reason it was so easy to relax while watching this gory, psychologically intense film was the absolutely captivating presences of Pennywise.

From the first moment meeting him in the storm drain, I wanted more. Pennywise was the whole evil package. From the voice to the lazy eyes, the buckteeth, the weird lip thing, the drool, the sick outfit…I couldn’t get enough of his terrifying presence.

From the opening scene, I felt like I was watching what would become a spooky season classic. Even though it was clear that some details from the novel were missing in the movie, It took on a new life of its own on screen. I dare you to see it. And I dare you to resist seeing it again right after.