IT Chapter Two- Review

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image source: IMDB

Director: Andy Muschietti
Cast: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Bill Skarsgård, Andy Bean. 

 Stephen King's infamous novel IT is no stranger to pop culture. The 1986 novel about a group of kids that call themselves the Losers Club going against a killer clown has been one of the most iconic horror novels. By 1990, IT was adapted into a two part miniseries with Tim Curry as the menacing Pennywise. But that wasn't the last we've seen of the clown. In 2017, IT was once again adapted for a new generation, this time taking place in 1989, with Bill Skarsgård taking over the role of Pennywise. IT became one of the highest grossing horror films and became one of my personal favorites of 2017. A full out horror film might not be a fitting way to describe IT, perhaps more of a coming of age film with bits of horror sprinkled into it, which makes for a more interesting experience. Pennywise's appearance was a way for the characters to grow out of adolescence, to force themselves into facing their worst fears, and in the end, these kids became one of the best aspects of the film. Now, it's time for the adult portion of the story to be told, hence IT Chapter Two.

Taking place 27 years after the Losers Club's confrontation with Pennywise, IT Chapter Two begins with a bang, or in this case, a gory murder. Once the murders start to resurface in Derry, Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa), the only Loser to remain in Derry; takes it upon himself to seek help to the former Losers, who have all moved out of Derry and became successful as adults. The club's former leader, Bill Denbrough (James McAvoy) is now a novelist and screenwriter, while Beverly Marsh (Jessica Chastain) is a fashion designer. Richie Tozier (Bill Hader) is a stand up comedian, Eddie Kaspbrak (James Ransone) is a risk analist, Stanley Uris (Andy Bean) works in an accounting firm, and Ben Hanscom (Jay Ryan) is an architect. While they've all become a big success, the rest of the former Losers (aside from Mike) have seemingly forgotten about their encounter with Pennywise, as the longer they stayed out of Derry, the more hazy their memories of Pennywise are. Mike, who had spent the last 27 years in Derry, was the only one whose memories stayed intact. Unlike the rest of the Losers, Mike spent 27 years researching Pennywise's origin, and in the process, how to kill it. Once the Losers regroup in Derry, it's up to them to rediscover their childhood memories and defeat the killer clown once and for all.

The adult version of the Losers has an impressive list of actors that pulls their characters of wonderfully. James McAvoy is brilliant as always being the adult Bill Denbrough, especially when it comes to moments of grief. McAvoy seamlessly blends into the role of the Losers Club's former leader, and like Jaeden Martell (who played the young Bill Denbrough in the predecessor), he carries most of the film's dramatic moments. Jessica Chastain is fierce as Beverly Marsh, taking over the role from Sophia Lillis with ease; while James Ransone as Eddie Kaspbrak not only looks exactly like his younger counterpart (previously played by Jack Dylan Grazer), but perfectly embodies Kaspbrak's mannerisms from Grazer's performance in the predecessor. Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, and Andy Bean also had fine performances as Mike Hanlon, Ben Hanscom, and Stanley Uris respectively. The standout however, as many have already said, is Saturday Night Live alumni Bill Hader as the group's loudmouth Richie Tozier (he's also fantastic in the show Barry. Definitely worth a watch). Hader is the film's biggest surprise, and perhaps mine, as I've seen him in many great SNL skits, so seeing him switch from comedy to horror was a pleasant surprise. But not only does Hader's Richie become the comedic relief, he's also the film's heart. 

Image source: IMDB

IT Chapter Two may be bigger in terms of horror aspects, but it doesn't quite hit as much as its predecessor did. What made the first IT such a great film was the chemistry and the relationship between the seven Losers. Nevermind that it isn't truly scary compared to other horror films, at least the film knew that it wanted the audience to care for these characters. Once they're placed into a terrifying ordeal, we're not scared of the monster that taunts them, but for the characters who are going against the monster. The characterizations of the first IT are effective, showing that the Losers are just as interesting on their own as they are together. Bill is traumatized over not being able to save Georgie from his gruesome fate, Beverly has a troubled home life with her overly possessive father, Eddie has an over-protective mother, Ben is taunted for being the new kid; you get the jist. It succeeded because we cared about the kids, we cared about what they were going through, even when it didn't involve Pennywise. The first film interwove their character arcs together wonderfully, and in return, it gave Pennywise a chance to turn their ordeals into true horror.

IT Chapter Two doesn't quite manage to do the same for the adults, save for Richie, who has a much more poignant storyline than the rest. As kids, Pennywise's appearance was a way to deal with their worst fears. As adults, it's more of facing an emotional trauma, which is certainly interesting, but the film never really explores this, instead treating it as more of a fragment of a memory. Moreover, the film chooses to focus on expositional dialogue rather than actually showing it, which could either be effective or unnecessary, depending on how you look at it. Even for a nearly three hour film, some of the developments seem too rushed, which would probably explain why there isn't as big of a connection between the audience and the Losers now as it did then when they were kids. The comradery is still there, but compared to its predecessor, there's a lack of development between the characters we once loved, whose journeys we followed with excitement and dread, not to mention that the characterizations are sacrificed for bigger (and sadly predictable) jumpscares; and it leaves some of that duty to the flashbacks. And because the film has some pacing issues, it does disrupt its coherence between serving the scares and developing the characters, which was something that its predecessor was much better at. 

Image source: IMDB

And then there's the formulaic scares that is too reminiscent of the usual horror tropes. The first film had those, but it wasn't overdone or repetitive. Most of the scares were genuine because it relied on silence and the character's expression to build the tension, not the over-done scary music that's a constant reminder that a jumpscare awaits. Take the scene in the first IT when Pennywise appears behind Beverly after she attacked her father. It had no buildup music that tells you a jumpscare was about to unfold. We only had a moment of silence before Beverly turns around, and low and behold, Pennywise was right behind her. It was an effective jumpscare because it was completely unexpected. Or perhaps when Stan encounters the flute lady, with only a tune and eventually the drop of the flute to create tension. It's devoid of the usual high pitch music that goes eerily silent for one second before a jumpscare, instead opting for a tune that would have been sweet to listen to, had it not come from a figure that Stan fears. Chapter Two, on the other hand, does feel like it's a little too reliant on cliché jumpscares that loses its momentum the more it repeats itself. The scares here don't stick as well as it did in the first film, though it doesn't fully fall flat on delivering some truly thrilling scares (helped immensely by Bill Skarsgård's brilliant return as Pennywise), and it especially doesn't hold back during the film's insane third act.

IT Chapter Two isn't a terrible film, by all means. In fact, there's still a lot to like from this film. It still manages to take some of the best aspects of both the predecessor and King's novel, and the fact that this one stays more faithful to the novel could be taken as more of a positive. As said before, there's still a sense of comradery for the most part that still manages to tug at heartstrings at times. When the Losers are back together, it's definitely a delight to see, especially during their reunion scene in a Chinese restaurant (the banter between Hader's Richie and Ransone's Eddie being one of the highlights). Despite rushing character development on the adult counterparts, the film does give some room for the characters to take a breather and have a moment of contemplation and nostalgia upon returning to their hometown; which are some of the film's best moments. It gives a pleasant sense of nostalgia to the kids that forged a lasting bond. The film is knows that it's a character driven story, for sure, and that the characters are what elevates the story. And when it lags in development, it soars in the chemistry, thanks to the film's impressive ensemble cast. There are moments where it hits you emotionally, some of them being from flashbacks, and others from the adult Losers.

Overall, IT Chapter Two is still a solid closure to the IT duology, and is a fine companion piece of the first IT. There's more to like than there is to dislike, especially when there are moments where the film is fully aware that the characters are what made the predecessor worked in the first place. The film retains that stunning cinematography of the first film, capturing beautiful shots in the midst of all the horror, accompanied by Benjamin Wallfisch's gorgeous score. The flashbacks with the kids can feel as if they overshadow the adult part of the story, but some offer much needed development towards the present day, especially when it comes to these characters reliving past memories of their hometown. Some of these scenes even became the film's emotional heavyweight, providing a sense of those childhood memories that we don't ever want to forget. It's not an easy task to adapt a story that spans a thousand pages, but Chapter Two did what it could to compress the second half of what is already 1,100 pages worth of story into a near three hour film; whilst developing some of its own narrative along the way. While Chapter Two isn't as cohesive as the first film, and it should have used its runtime more effectively, that certainly doesn't stop it from having its moments. 

Image source: IMDB

Overall verdict: IT Chapter Two provides a satisfying closure to the IT duology, despite its flaws. The ensemble cast that consists of McAvoy, Chastain, Ransone, Mustafa, and Ryan all have impressive performances as the adult Losers. However, it's Hader that steals the spotlight, providing most of the film's humor whilst also being the film's heart. Compared to its predecessor, the scares aren't as effective as the first film, but sometimes its need to amp up the scares pays off. As for the adult counterparts themselves, their development isn't as fleshed out as when they were kids; though it doesn't fully take away the joy of seeing the Losers back together. Even if it's a little more reliant on bigger scares this time, it's still aware that it's a character driven story, that in the end, it's the characters that help bring the film up on its feet. And since a big chunk of the story is about the Losers rediscovering their childhood, the film provides us with more flashbacks that could sometimes feel unnecessary, but other times pack that much needed emotional punch that drive the development in the present day. IT Chapter Two isn't as cohesive in when it comes to balancing its themes and elements as the first film, but it's still an enjoyable ride with plenty of moments to keep you invested.

Stars: 3.4/5

You can also read my review of the first IT here


 

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