Bill Skarsgard stars in a scene from the movie "It." The Catholic News Service classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (CNS/Warner Bros.)

By Catholic News Service

Set in a small Maine town in the late 1980s, this horror adaptation finds an ensemble of kids (most prominently Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis and Jeremy Ray Taylor) being preyed on by a demonic clown (Bill Skarsgard) and by other manifestations of evil.

Director Andy Muschietti’s screen version of Stephen King’s 1986 novel emphasizes the camaraderie uniting the youngsters as they battle their occult opponents, and moviegoers looking for nothing more than to be unsettled will likely be satisfied. But some grisly sights and nasty details make this suitable for few.

Mature themes, including implied incestuous child sexual abuse, occasional bloody violence and disturbing images, intermittent sexual humor, a few uses of profanity, pervasive rough and frequent crude language, obscene gestures. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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