Having topped the charts for #1 movie in the U.S. last week, IT is being talked about a lot since the horror movie made its debut on September 8, 2017.

IT is adapted for the screen from the Stephen King novel (1986), and is directed by Andrés Muschietti. The movie follows seven teenagers that are being terrorized by a horrific, shape-shifting being, who commonly takes the form of a clown named Pennywise. Throughout the film, the young characters unite to overcome the frightening obstacles and defeat Pennywise the clown.

Although it gained very good reviews from many critics, the film’s witty, juvenile tone limited the horror aspect, making it almost comical at times. The humor among the characters was creative and funny, but some horror fans may have been unhappy with the less than serious scenes.

The overt and excessively fake visual effects caused the movie to be more of a comedy than a horror film. The “make-you-jump” scenes came too often, became predictable and lost their effectiveness by the end of the movie. Some may say the trailer gave the wrong impression and created an unrealistic expectation for the “horror” movie.

No one is denying that Pennywise is plenty creepy and gave most viewers the chills, but it was the movie’s excellent cast and clever characters that made IT one of the best Stephen King adaptations. The characters in the film were likable, hilarious and easily relatable, making their triumph at the end a good and long awaited one.

As a horror movie, IT may have not been satisfying to viewers, but as a movie about friendship and the coming-of-age, IT was a hit.