The new movie of IT is breaking box office records left, right and centre, and holding firm for the second week of release. There's clearly a taste for '80s nostalgia, small-town America, shape-shifting clowns and good-natured coming of age stories.
If you loved IT (and have seen Stranger Things) and fancy another hit, here are our top recommendations.
1. Stand by Me
OK, not a horror and nary a scary clown in sight, but tonally this adaptation of Stephen King short The Body is very similar. A group of kids go on a journey together with the plan of locating a dead body they've heard about, encountering bullies, angry dogs and personal demons on the way. A funny, warm and moving eulogy to childhood.
2. Poltergeist
Tobe Hooper's '80s chiller does feature a scary clown, but that's not the only reason it makes the list. The story of a house built on an old burial ground containing malevolent spirits that attack the children has a similar vibe and level of horror to IT – it's frightening, but it's not too frightening, and it's a good story with compelling characters in its own right. Avoid the remake.
3. Beyond the Gates
This 2016 movie centres on two brothers who discover an old VHS board game that holds the key to their father's disappearance. Something like a horror version of Jumanji, the movie riffs on '90s nostalgia rather than '80s but carries a similar sense of adventure and good-natured charm along with a bit of graphic gore. An indie hit and highly recommended.
4. Turbo Kid
Bat-shit action-fantasy adventure set in a post-apocalyptic 1997 where water is scarce and a terrifying overlord called Zeus rules over 'the wasteland'. Our hero is a comic book-obsessed, BMX-riding kid who meets a strange girl and an arm-wrestling cowboy who attempt to escape Zeus and survive. A fun, anarchic, nostalgic (and gory) ode to old kids' movies.
5. The Final Girls
Clever meta slasher that sees a woman whose late mother was a movie scream queen sucked into one of her movies along with her friends. The group find themselves having to pass for players in the movie and attempt to persuade the characters to subvert horror trends in order to save themselves. Nostalgic for a certain type of horror and a knowing flashback to the '80s that's all very character-driven and rather sweet.
6. Pet Sematary
Another Stephen King adaptation, and one adapted by King himself, this is a 'Monkey's Paw'-style cautionary tale about a ritual burial ground with resurrection properties. Made in 1989 and directed by Mary Lambert, it's got one of the creepiest kids in horror as well as King's small town setting and distinctive characters.
7. Fright Night
Though the original is better (they mostly are) younger fans of IT should consider checking out the remake of Fright Night, starring Colin Farrell, David Tennant and Anton Yelchin. There's some homoerotic subtext missing from this version, but high production values and decent performances make this story of a teenager who thinks his next-door neighbour is a vampire a polished and fun horror-comedy.
8. Super 8
JJ Abrams's love letter to Steven Spielberg's vision of the '80s plays like IT if it were a sci-fi. A group of outsiders that includes one girl (who may as well be The Losers' Club) accidentally witness and film a train crash on a Super 8 camera – a crash which has unleashed something otherworldly into their small town. Conflicts between adults and kids, and father-son relationships are key here – it's a clear forerunner to Stranger Things.
9. Gremlins
Like IT, part of Gremlins' lasting appeal is its combination of horror and genuinely affecting emotional moments. Nor could it be any more '80s if it tried (see: Phoebe Cates). The old lady shooting through the ceiling on her Stannah Stairlift is admittedly much funnier than a little boy being torn to pieces by a demonic clown, but try to hold back the tears when you find out what happened to Phoebe's dad.
10. The Monster Squad
A town overrun with evil? Irresponsible adults who can't see the danger under their noses? A loveable chubby kid? Sound familiar? We're hoping Muschietti decided to save the scene where Pennywise is kicked in the nards for Chapter 2.
11. Clown
We had to have one scary clown movie on this list, so we've picked the feature directorial debut of Jon Watts, who is currently fresh off Spider-Man: Homecoming. This strange, blackly comic indie horror is quite gross and scary, as a man discovers an old clown suit to dress up for his son's birthday when the clown he hired cancels, but finds himself unable to take it off. Surprisingly grim but very funny.
