It Chapter Two

It Chapter Two adds more emotion and humor to its fantastic predecessor, but at the cost of being a horror film. Only a small chunk of the two-hour-49-minute runtime is committed to building up scares and a sense of danger. Yet, with all the craftsmanship and powerful performances by the star-studded cast, it is an absolute blast. The film individualizes the characters, giving them distinct arcs and portioning its runtime to develop each one, sacrificing cheap thrills for a sense of reality in the trauma being expressed.

The transition from the child cast of the first film to the celebrities of this film had the risk of derailing the organic thread between the two stories. Thankfully, the new actors’ performances plant the craziness of the two stories into one, concentrated flow. Bill Hader not only brings the most differentiating element to the film, but he also introduces a new arc to his character, which finally gave that character a purpose to being in the story. The entire Losers Club was greatly upgraded with the new adult performances, and it is not because adult actors are better than child actors—James MaAvoy’s and Jessica Chastain’s performances are probably the least impressive out of both films. The characters are improved upon in this sequel because of the writing and the massive runtime to give each one their own spotlight. I referenced Bill Hader’s character, Richie, because he has a lot to do with the emotional quality of this film. Richie was merely the comic relief in the last film—given by one of the actors from Stranger Things—but Bill Hader actually gives it more emphasis in the comedic timing to the point where it becomes his character’s crutch to hide behind comedy instead of facing his trauma. The truth that is revealed about his character is very well done, and was definitely needed in the last film. Another improved character is equally taken from another comedic relief, Eddie, who becomes the central victim and represents the fear infecting the group. He plays as the coward, showing what happens when one of the Losers fails to act and face the consequences. In the first film, these two characters were very funny, but mainly one-note; in Chapter Two, they bring out the dread none of the other performances reach. In the middle of the film, the scars of each character turn against themselves as they must find their past on their own, and this is where the character development far exceeds any recent horror film’s depth. The nightmares these kids had to live through, and the curse that pulls them back just when they are about to break free, is what gives them the urgency and rounded nature to set this sequel apart from other horror franchises.

Horror is one of the hardest elements to execute in film. This film’s predecessor focused all of its scenes on perfecting its horror premise, and it worked. The sequel, however, looked to spread its wings and entered into elements of comedy and action; in doing so, this film’s story leaves the original core it took so long to refine. There is little horror found in this film. The humor is great and the action is tense, but by the third act I was sitting comfortably in my chair, enjoying the fun. There was no sense of danger for me. The final confrontation with It is all action, no suspense or build-up to a scare. The beginning is much different: the first two scenes in Derry are equal to the Georgie scene in the first film. Sadly, these scenes are the exception. What the story does get right, though, is adding more baggage and humanity to the characters. You can feel the history of the group and the town weighing down on their choices. The stakes slowly grow until they are piercing the characters’ throats. There is no escape from the overhanging threat, and what each character has to do in order to survive is very well done. The story bounces between each arc so efficiently and creatively that the long runtime feels polished and calculated. It may not be the scariest story in Steven King’s adaptation repertoire, but it certainly is the most impressive.

The magic of the first film was the incredible performances not only by the core cast of kid actors, but also Pennywise himself, Bill Skarsgård. His rendition of the demon clown is electric, mixing horror and fun into one, terrifying persona that can only be stopped by seven kids smacking him with a baseball bat. I love the building hatred that grows around the Losers club after every encounter with It, and how the more they try to fight It, the more It grows a personal connection to them. It transforms into other monsters to scare each kid directly, but the clown form always manages to come back as if it wants to prove to them that “he” is the one behind everything. That magic is barely found in the sequel. There is only one scene where Skarsgård is given the stage for his iconic performance—the best scene in the whole film—but it takes place 20 minutes into the film, and it does not involve any of the other main characters. The more human side to the struggle of the Losers Club is Henry Bowers, the bully that constantly tries to make their lives miserable. He returns as an insane man with a knife in two or three scenes, and nothing more. There is no reason for him being in the story with that lack of development, yet the film splits away from the central characters in order to give screen time to this throw-away subplot. The two opposing forces of the first film—the axle that kept the story rolling—are not fully expressed in the sequel, which is the only true argument weighing this story down.

Overall, this is an enjoyably clever film that understood the shortcomings of its predecessor as well as what it did right. You laugh more than you scream, but in a well rounded way because of its characters. It acts as this epic conclusion to a full series of enticing films, with twists and turns and plot points in between, even though it is just a sequel, which gives it a special charm. There are several issues keeping it from being a great film: they could have cut out 10 minutes from the ending, the time-setting of the flashbacks are never explained, the antagonists were greatly underutilized—especially the bully, Henry Bowers—but the experience shared with the Losers Club washing all of these problems away. You can tell how much fun the director had making this film from the creative scene transitions to the insane creature design. The film on its own really shines, and its difference from the first film was a smart decision, even though the spirit of what made this story so unique had to be in short supply.

P.S. A message that can be accidentally taken out of these films is “the only way to stop a bully is to bully them back harder,” which does not align with today’s morals. I honestly do not know if that was what these films intended, but that is the prevailing idea I get from them. I do not agree with that statement, but on the other hand… it is a lot of fun to see a bunch of kids beat up a demon clown like a piñata.

Story Rating: 6/10

Character Rating: 7/10