Speakeasy Review: It: Chapter Two Review

IT’S BACK! This weekend, we saw the return of The Losers Club with It: Chapter Two, directed by Andy Muschietti. This time, we meet The Losers Club 27 years after the events of It: Chapter One when their past decides to haunt them and come “clowning” around again. Pennywise returns to Derry to bring madness to the small town again and haunt our dreams.

I really enjoyed It: Chapter Two. From the storytelling to the cast, this was a well done film. I also have to say I’m not the biggest fan of the horror genre because of the original It from the early 90s. But these two It films definitely have more of a Stranger Things feel to them. That tone definitely makes the film more enjoyable. 

For those who didn’t watch the first film, we return to Derry 27 years after The Losers Club takes down Pennywise…or so they thought. Referred to as “It” in the film as well, the entity that is Pennywise has been causing chaos in the town for years, but seems to only attack every 27 years. The Losers are brought back to Derry when Pennywise starts attacking again.

Where the film really nails it is the adult casting. Jessica Chastain (Beverly), James McAvoy (Bill), and Bill Hader (Richie) are the three big names brought on to the anchor the adult Losers. But the entire adult gang had such great chemistry. You really get a sense of that with Bill Hader and James Ransone (Eddie). But the adults look very much to what the child actors would look like if they were older.  

In fact, don’t be shocked if we hear Bill Hader in talks for award consideration. He absolutely kills every scene he is in, from his solo encounter with Pennywise in the Derry Town Square to the final battle where he deals with tragedy. Hader absolutely nails the sarcastic humor of Richie, but doesn’t lose sight that he’s conflicted with his own battle of who he is and his love for his friends. This also includes his romantic feelings for Eddie, which was always hinted at in the book. This revelation is very well done and not forced into the film to where you feel horrible for Richie when he loses the person he has feelings for. Bill Hader really shows that he is capable of, not just comedic acting, but drama as well.

While the film is definitely scary, I’d say there was more humor in Chapter Two than Chapter One. The first film is meant to get you to be scared of Pennywise and the madness he brings. Chapter Two, however, is for you to conquer your fears of him. And that’s precisely what you see with The Losers Club. In the first film, they are scared! Even when the movie ends, they make a promise to each other to return to Derry if Pennywise ever returned. This was done more so out of fear that he would do again what he had done to the kids already (kill Georgie, haunt/torment them, and hunt other children). In Chapter Two, the film starts with the adult Losers trying to remember the events of Chapter One; and once they do, they are scared shitless. That is until they realize that standing up to Pennywise and conquering their fears is what will ultimately defeat Pennywise.

The overall arc of both chapters tells a great story about friendship and how to care for each other. While chapter one we see the Losers get into fights and altercations with each other and bullies, they end up coming together to defeat Pennywise a first time. In Chapter Two, we see them once again come together to fulfill a promise they made to each other. Once Beverly also tells them she’s seen their fates and how everyone dies, they decide to stick together and defeat Pennywise…even though they all at one point wanted to leave and abandon each other. But their love and dedication for each other is what ultimately teaches them to conquer their fears and be there for each other in tough/scary times.

While the movie isn’t perfect, director Andy Muschietti crafts a great story that plays very nicely with Chapter One. It’s definitely a movie that everyone who loves thrillers, horrors, and Stranger Things should see. With another Stephen King adaptation being released by Warner Bros. later this year with Doctor Sleep, It: Chapter Two is a great addition to the Stephen King cinema library, even if It: Chapter One was the better film.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10

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