It’s 1989. An ancient, shape-shifting evil, only known as “It,” has returned to the town of Derry, Maine, after a long sleep. “It” fancies the form of Pennywise the Clown, a sewer-dwelling, sharp-toothed, child-hungry monster. As “It” starts picking off children one by one, some of the kids start to notice that something isn’t right. Missing child signs are posted on top of others from the week before, and the grown-ups in the town don’t seem to care.

The movie follows Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), our stuttering hero, and his band of “losers” as they uncover Derry’s unsettling secret. There’s Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), the overweight new kid; Beverly (Sophia Lillis), the girl with the unfair reputation; Mike (Chosen Jacobs), an orphaned farm-hand; Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), an asthmatic germaphobe; and Stanley (Wyatt Oleff), the Rabbi’s son. Also in the mix is Richie, the loyal jokester, played by “Stranger Things” star Finn Wolfhard. He’s a definite improvement over Seth Green, who originally filled those shoes.

Even Bill Skarsgård, who plays Pennywise, did a splendid job. Rather than trying to imitate Tim Curry, he made the horrid clown his own, with the help of Oscar-worthy animation, of course.

The first thing you’ll notice about “It” is the sound; it’s loud, smooth, and foreboding. Frights are built up with audio that makes you fidget in your seat, then executed with an eerie reverberation.

It’s also beautifully shot, with special effects that are both mesmerizing and meticulously detailed. Stellar visuals capture the essence of King’s descriptions while taking advantage of the film’s R rating. Bloody hair swarms from the bathroom drain to attack Beverly; Pennywise ferociously rips the arm off of a child, only to wave hello with the arm later on. The graphics are as intricate as they are paralyzing.

Despite the masterful effects, it’s the cast of extremely talented youngsters that make the film. Not only is time taken to develop each character, but the actors execute their roles to perfection. The children are completely believable, painting an honest portrait of what twelve-year-olds are actually like, making for a very comedic script.

These kids are hardcore, too, despite being “losers”. They deal with rock fights, bullies that literally carve their initials into flesh, and adult figures that range from apathetic to reprehensible—after all, it is the 80s. And even though they all have their own fears—that Pennywise takes great pleasure in exploiting—they are incredibly brave.

The kids are the reason “It” keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end. You’ll eventually get used to the jump-scares, but seeing each horror through the eyes of a child is thrilling.

It’s safe to say that “It” is a significant improvement over the original film, (1990). Stephen King himself expressed his love in a tweet earlier this year, and fans agree. Opening weekend, “It” grossed nearly $124 million. Part of this success is due to this adaptation’s narrow focus. Rather than trying to condense the story of a 1000+ page novel into a two-hour film, Director Andy Muschietti will split the story into multiple “chapters.”

No film could ever match the feeling of dread that accompanies King’s prose. But “It” holds audiences’ attention with a good narrative and ambitious filmmaking, elevating the standards of a horror movie. In the end, we’re reminded why we go to the movies in the first place.