Overly Long ‘It’ Sequel Still Ramps Up The Scares

I enjoyed the first It (2017) film; a good mix of psychological horror, comedy, and gore, the first It film had me excited for It:Chapter 2. That said It: Chapter 2 didn’t quite live up to its predecessor. So presented for your consideration, a spoiler free survival guide for It: Chapter 2.

The film itself is exquisitely designed; the costumes, sets and effects are all breathtaking and feel real and like a natural extension of the first film. The cast is stellar, too. Our Chapter 2 Losers (Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh, James MacAvoy as Ben Deneborough, Isiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon, Jay Ryan as Ben Hascom, James Ranscome as Eddie Kaspbrak, Bill Hader as Richie Tozier and Andy Bean as Stanley Uris) feel right at home alongside the cast from the first film (Sophia Lillis as Beverly, Jaeden Martell as Ben, Chosen Jacobs as Mike, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie, Finn Wolfhardt as Richie and Wyatt Oleff as Stanley). While our adult Losers are our main cast in this film, their younger counterparts pop up often throughout the film, helping to fill the gaps in the character’s memories and providing some wonderful moments of reflection, remembering and depth. Of course Bill Skarsgård returns as the nightmare-causing, scenery-chewing Pennywise. It seems he has more moments of sheer pants-sh***ing terror than he did in the first one, including a much higher body count than the first film’s measly two on-screen kills. 

All that said the show is most thoroughly stolen by Bill Hader’s Richie who is equal parts acid-tongued and heart-wrenchingly emotional throughout the film. Unsurprisingly both Jessica Chastain and James MacAvoy were excellent as the delicate but determined Bev and the stuttering de facto leader of the team, Ben. Jay Ryan was also a pleasant surprise as Ben Hascome, the chubby kid turned sexier than a “team of Brazillian soccer players” (and boy was he). 

The biggest issue with the film was the length. This movie was just under three hours long and it did not feel earned. Avengers: Endgame with its 20+ movie buildup earned my three hours of attention and It: Chapter 2 just didn’t. There were several sequences where I found myself thinking “this seems like it’s been going on for a while” which oftentimes took away from what they were setting up and continuously jolted me out of the plot and scary moments. It’s also a challenge for those small-bladdered folks, so keep that in mind. There are also some moments where the film seems so determined to cram some whimsy down your gullet that it becomes almost Disney-esque while trying to remind you how carefree childhood can be. It can create tonal whiplash at times. The plot, while fascinating, is overly complex. I had to take a few moments from time to time to separate out what was real versus altered reality in a way that again, was jarring.

 The Stephen King easter eggs are plentiful and fun. The writing is jam packed with sharp jokes, quick quips and enough heart that I shed a few tears (I’m not a big crier). The kills were gory, sometimes campy and you could tell that Skarsgård was relishing every moment he had on screen. This film starts with a hate crime. This existed in the 1986 novel, based off a then-recent event in Bangor, Maine, that still feels alarmingly at home in 2016, where It: Chapter 2 is set. It also clearly sets up the general apathy of Derry. King has a recurring motif of evil rooted in human behavior and it is out in fine form in It: Chapter 2. If you are tired of the Stephen King cliches I will warn you that many of them are out and about in this film. There were many large swathes of It: Chapter 2 where I was swept up in the story, the visuals, the music and the suspense. The escalation of Pennywise’s terror from the first film raised the stakes even if the extra half an hour of run time felt like a bit much.  There were lots of wonderful scares, and creepy atmospheric moments and even though my ass was numb by the end of it, if you love the first one, Stephen King or horror movies, I’d have to recommend it. 

I will end this review with a content warning though it contains non-specific spoilers, but I feel these are important to include: if you have a sensitivity to strobing lights or very graphic suicidal imagery I would advise sitting this one out or waiting until you can watch it in your own home. 

I give It: Chapter 2 (New Line Cinema, R, 2hrs 49mins) 3.5 out of 5.