Even people who hate horror movies will enjoy ‘It’

A new but familiar face lurks in the shadows. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Sometime in October of last year, "crazy clowns" sightings made global headlines. 

Instances of armed clowns being spotted standing menacingly on roadsides or emerging mysteriously from forested areas were rampant in the United States. The disturbing trend reached Philippine shores, with "killer clowns" reportedly being seen in Vigan and Quezon City. 

It didn't quite catch on, but now, people are actually lining up to see the worst (or is it best?) killer clown of them all. 

Adapted from bestselling author Stephen King's eponymous 1986 novel, "It" tells the story of a small town with a deadly secret. Seven adolescent misfits band together to solve a longstanding and horrifying mystery, forced to work together and face their fears in order to survive.

This interpretation of King's thriller leaves out a few plot points from the book, but remains faithful for the most part. The end result is a horror film that is chilling, compelling, and frighteningly entertaining.

What makes "It" particularly satisfying is that it has the right balance of elements to appeal to hardcore horror fans and horror movie "haters" alike. It uses a multitude of conventional horror film techniques such as jump scares, body contortion, reanimated dead bodies and the like, but makes itself more palatable for nightmare-prone audiences through its likable leads and some well-timed humor.

The main villain of this film, the otherworldly Pennywise, is a truly frightening antagonist, and Bill Skarsgård's disturbing portrayal of the homicidal sewer-dweller will certainly have you looking over your shoulder more often than you'd like.

Fans of Pinoy horror films (such as the long-running "Shake, Rattle & Roll" franchise) will appreciate how "It" taps into our fear of the unknown without turning into a solid two-hour screamfest.

If you enjoyed the hit Netflix series "Stranger Things" — itself an obvious love letter to the horror and sci-fi films of the 1980s — you'll certainly love this film.

"It" even has Finn Wolfhard, a.k.a. Mike, in it; considering that "It" was supposedly already halfway through production by the time "Stranger Things" was released, this was certainly a serendipitous, if somewhat eerie, casting choice.

Finn Wolfhard will be a familiar face to people who saw "Stranger Things." Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Ultimately, "It" floats all the way to the top of the horror genre as a visually stunning adaptation of a strong work of literary fiction. Just be careful — if it were up to Pennywise, you'll float, too. — AT, GMA News