Just when you thought IT was over, we’re back in the terrifying world of Stephen King with IT Chapter Two.
Returning to the town of Derry, Maine, 27 years later presents a whole new set of scary challenges for the Losers’ Club as Pennywise The Dancing Clown resurfaces hungrier than ever.
Andy Muschietti has crafted yet another entertaining, popcorn-horror experience with Chapter Two, the film’s exciting visual flair keeping with the style of the first. It symbolically riffs on IT with a different, deeper tale, made possible through gripping flashback scenes juxtaposed with the adult Losers’ Club retracing their steps in the present.
Much of the film evocatively deals with the adult Losers’ Club trying to recapture their lost youth, as well as confront their lasting childhood trauma, in order to find the strength to defeat Pennywise once and for all.
The adults are perfectly cast (some uncannily so) with fine actors such as James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and (best of all) Bill Hader. They continue to wonderfully flesh out these characters so well-portrayed by the young actors in IT with moments of comedy, drama and heart. As a bonus, the flashbacks allow audiences to enjoy the efforts of the younger cast once more.
Overall it's a very similar experience to IT. Creepy spectacles mixed with some unsettling imagery, and perhaps too much reliance on jump-scares. However Pennywise is just as effective as before.
Despite the elongated runtime, Chapter Two is an epic funhouse rollercoaster ride.
