By Tierney Ulrich 

It is October. It is the time for fall leaves, the time for Halloween, the time to talk about It.

The remake of the classic movie, based on Stephen King’s novel, was released on September 8, 2017. The movie follows seven young outcasts in the fictional town of Derry, Maine as they spend their summer break fighting off the murderous clown, Pennywise. Sounds fun, right?

Upon its release, the film broke box office records, earning $606 million worldwide. This sets it as one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time, coming second only to The Sixth Sense.

What about this movie makes it so noteworthy?

Although the movie has been criticized for not being scary enough, it still maintains an 85% on “Rotten Tomatoes,” a trusted measurement of movie quality for many movie-goers.

Many audience members and critics found that the movie stayed true to the artistry of King’s writing. It is applauded for its focus on story and character development, rather than a reliance on “jump scares.”

The movie is of the horror genre, but holds a strong focus on its characters. This sets it apart from the majority of horror films produced today.

It is not simply a story of a psychopath clown, it is a story of the indestructible bonds formed between seven young children as they face their deepest and darkest fears. It is a story of the strength of friendship in the face of terrible danger. It is worth watching.