IT Chapter Two (2019)

IT Chapter Two (2019)

7/10

Starring

Jessica Chastain

James McAvoy

Bill Hader

Isaiah Mustafa

Directed by Andy Muschietti

IT Chapter Two has arrived, and it takes no prisoners. The movie is just as captivating as the first one in 2017 and just as interesting. The only difference is that when it was children taking on Pennywise, the movie had a ring of strength in character that the kids needed. They had to dig deep to face Pennywise and confront their fears.

This isn’t a knock on the actors in this second part—they performed beautifully. It’s just harder to sell the idea of adults needing that same kind of strength. The writers tackled this well by taking the time to scare the adults and make them feel like kids again. This happens as the characters walk through the town, regaining their memories. We get to see their younger counterparts alongside them, scared at the same time. Yes, this movie also brings back the younger versions of the ensemble cast from IT (2017).

The story is based on Stephen King’s book IT. The first cool adaptation was in 1990, with Tim Curry playing Pennywise. The fun part is that the studio decided to do a remake 27 years later, matching the book’s timeline of when Pennywise returns. The first IT was set in 1989 and released in 2017. This new one is set in 2016.

The plot goes like this: Pennywise, who the Losers Club thought they had killed, is back. Everyone has left the town except for Mike, who stayed behind and became obsessed with Pennywise. Twenty-seven years after they believed they killed him, Pennywise returns and starts causing chaos again. This time, he spreads his terror even further.

Mike calls the others and asks them to honor a vow they made 27 years ago—to return to Derry, Maine, and kill Pennywise if he ever showed up again.

The movie wastes no time delivering the scares and creepy moments involving Pennywise that’ll have you on edge, wishing he’d just die already. The casting, just like in the first IT (2017), was done masterfully. Every member of the cast owned their scenes. The movie also stepped up its game with the CGI. We get to see not only Pennywise’s weird transformations but also a host of other terrifying creatures.

The entire Losers Club was scared out of their minds as they returned to their hometown where it all began. The writers and director took us down that scary path right alongside them.

The movie is just as good as the first one and needs to be seen to bring the whole Pennywise story to a close.