It: Chapter Two (2019) review

Of the many novels that Stephen King has published during his career, one of his most popular has been his 1986 novel It, which followed a group of outcasted best friends from the town of Derry, Maine known as the Losers’ Club as they band together to fight a terrifying creature that usually inhabits the form of an evil clown named Pennywise. In 1990, the novel was adapted into a two-part miniseries that aired on ABC, and while several parts of the miniseries have dated considerably, it’s still fondly remembered by many of those who grew up with it thanks in large part to Tim Curry’s scene-stealing turn as Pennywise. But then, 27 years later (a fitting time-gap given that, in-universe, Pennywise is unleashed every 27 years), director Andy Muschietti was brought in to direct a new film adaptation of the novel. And instead of just cramming the 1,138-page novel into a single film, it was decided to split the story in half with the first of what would ultimately be two films focusing on the Losers’ Club when they’re kids. Upon its release, 2017’s It: Chapter One was a massive critical and commercial hit. Critics and audiences considered it to be one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work to date and it grossed over $700 million worldwide, effectively making it the highest-grossing horror film of all-time. But now the time has come to finish the story of the Losers’ Club’s encounters with Pennywise with It: Chapter Two. This time, the focus shifts onto the adult incarnations of our favorite Losers as they return to Derry to finish what they started, and despite facing the pressure of having to follow in the footsteps of one of the biggest horror films of recent years, It: Chapter Two is a highly satisfying and emotionally cathartic finale to its endearing tale of love, friendship… and a killer clown.  

It has been 27 years since the Losers’ Club managed to ward off the monstrous creature known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård) during the Summer of 1989. However, knowing that Pennywise probably wasn’t destroyed for good, they then proceed to make a blood oath where they promise to return to their hometown of Derry and confront him again if he ever came back. Sure enough, 27 years later in 2016, a new series of murders begin to occur all over Derry. Recognizing that this is all clearly Pennywise’s doing, Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa as an adult, Chosen Jacobs as a kid), the only member of the Losers’ Club to stay in Derry, gets back in touch with his old friends; Bill Denbrough (James McAvoy as an adult, Jaeden Martell (formerly Lieberher) as a kid), Beverly Marsh (Jessica Chastain as an adult, Sophia Lillis as a kid), Ben Hanscom (Jay Ryan as an adult, Jeremy Ray Taylor as a kid), Richie Tozier (Bill Hader as an adult, Finn Wolfhard as a kid),  Eddie Kaspbrak (James Ransone as an adult, Jack Dylan Grazer as a kid), and Stanley Uris (Andy Bean as an adult, Wyatt Oleff as a kid). And although many of them are hesitant to return home and deal with the most traumatizing part of their childhoods, the Losers’ Club eventually finds itself reunited after all these years. Once they’re back in Derry, the group quickly learns that it will take a lot more effort to defeat Pennywise this time, which includes them reflecting on pivotal moments from that fateful summer that they had somehow forgotten about after they had grown up and left Derry.

A lot has been said about It: Chapter Two’s runtime, which is fair considering that this film is nearly three hours long. Yes, they pack a lot into the second half of It, but this has proven to be the most polarizing aspect of the film amongst critics, and in some cases, I can see why. While the film doesn’t really drag at any point, there are a few instances here and there where they probably could’ve trimmed down certain parts that are potentially extraneous. Plus, the middle section of the film does tend to abide by a very specific formula. Namely, it keeps shifting around to almost every member of the Losers’ Club as they reflect upon a moment from their childhood when they were attacked by Pennywise before returning to the present where they experience yet another encounter with the Dancing Clown. Ultimately, though, these aren’t really that big of an issue since it all still revolves around a well-written and lovable collection of main characters in a film that dutifully retains the same great atmosphere of its predecessor. Unlike the 1990 miniseries, which had to cut certain bits out to appease network censors, the It films aren’t limited in any way when it comes to showcasing some of the most brutal and intense moments from the novel. Granted, it can be debated how truly effective these It films are when it comes to scares, but director Andy Muschietti does succeed in creating some truly suspenseful sequences whenever Pennywise attacks the Losers’ Club. Muschietti also deserves a lot of credit for his great comedic sensibilities as, just like its predecessor, It: Chapter Two boasts a great mix of lighthearted humor that helps to lighten up the mood and hilariously morbid dark comedy via Pennywise (e.g. a brilliant use of the Juice Newton cover of ‘Angel of the Morning’)   

And yet, perhaps the most important aspect of this film is its cast. For many people, one of the biggest shortcomings of the 1990 miniseries was its second half that followed the grown-up versions of the Losers’ Club. Despite having folks like John Ritter and Tim Reid in the ensemble, the adults never even came close to having the same solid camaraderie that their younger counterparts (played by the likes of Seth Green and Jonathan Brandis) had from the first half. Thus, you’ll be pleased to hear that this isn’t the case with It: Chapter Two. Right from the moment where they finally reunite, the adult members of the Losers’ Club achieve the same great camaraderie as their younger counterparts. And while it could be argued that, just like the first film, some get focused on more than others (namely, James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain as Bill and Beverly), it can also be argued that this film balances their roles in the plot a little better than last time. This time around, the two biggest standouts would have to be Bill Hader as Richie who, as to be expected, is the primary source of the film’s humor, and James Ransone as Eddie, who’s quite arguably the most pitch-perfect bit of casting when compared to his younger counterpart in what is already a flawlessly casted group of leads. But fear not, folks, as you still get plenty of scenes with the first film’s phenomenal group of young leads thanks to the many flashbacks that are in this half of the story. And, of course, there’s still Bill Skarsgård as these films’ delightfully unhinged version of Pennywise that provides a far more serious but still darkly comic take on the character compared to Tim Curry’s Pennywise from the miniseries.

   

If you’ve been following this site for a while, you’ll know that I’ve never been a big fan of horror films. However, at the very least, these past few years have given me some excellent horror films to help me become more accustomed to the genre, and it all started with It: Chapter One, which notably became the first horror film to grace my annual Top 12 Favorite Films of the Year list. Overall, I still stand by what I’ve said about it and how it is not only a great horror film but a great film in general thanks to its phenomenal emotional poignancy, excellent direction, and strong performances from its cast, and sure enough, that is also the case with It: Chapter Two. Now with that said, I will admit that I do understand why some feel that this isn’t exactly ‘as good’ as its predecessor. Namely, there are times where you do feel the weight of its hefty three-hour runtime and the occasional uniformity of its narrative. And yet, at the same time, the film still maintains all the great emotional beats that made its predecessor so fantastic. As I’ve said plenty of times these past few years, I’m at a point now with horror films where I’m more interested in their characters than the frightening situations that they end up in. And unlike the 90’s miniseries, this adaptation of It doesn’t underwhelm in the slightest when it comes to the adult incarnations of the Losers’ Club as they’re the same lovable bunch that they were when they were kids in the first film. Because of all this, the saga that is Andy Muschietti’s adaptation of It is now, collectively, my new favorite horror film of all-time. For those of you like me who aren’t too big on the horror genre, I’d say that these two films are a perfect place to start if you’re eager to get into horror films as they’re proof of how great films of this genre can truly be.  

Rating: 5/5!

It (2017) review

In 1986, author Stephen King released what has arguably become one of his most famous stories, It. The story of a group of young outcasts who band together to fend off a terrifying creature that feeds off their fears became a major best-seller upon release. Four years later, it was adapted into a two-part miniseries which aired on ABC and starred Tim Curry in the role of the main antagonist’s primary form, Pennywise the Dancing Clown. However, due to some of the changes that were made to condense a book that is over 1,000 pages long, namely by toning down some of its darker moments to make it more suitable for television, the miniseries admittedly hasn’t aged very well. And thus, here we are now with a new adaptation of It, released 27 years after the previous adaptation (and yes, folks, if you’re a fan of the novel, then you’ll know that this number is an important one in the context of the story). Director Andrés Muschietti takes the helm this time around for what is shaping up to be the first part of a duology. Because unlike the miniseries and novel, which both intercut between events that take place 27 years apart from each other, this film focuses solely on the main protagonists when they are kids, whereas an impending second installment will shift focus to them as adults. And unlike the miniseries, specifically, this film is a dark, R-rated horror flick that’s able to delve further into the most disturbing elements of the novel. Ultimately, though, the horror elements of this new It isn't the only thing that helps make it one of the greatest horror films in recent memory. 

 

In the quiet town of Derry, Maine, seven kids begin to bond during the summer of 1989. This includes stutterer Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher), overweight Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor), parental abuse victim Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis), loudmouth Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), germaphobe Stanley Uris (Wyatt Oleff), hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer), and homeschooled Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs). Together, they form ‘the Losers’ Club’ as they all go through the perils of growing up, including the uncertainty of first love and the daily struggle of dealing with bullies. Unfortunately, for the lot of them, part of that peril also involves a terrifying creature known as ‘It’, who frequently manifests as an evil clown named Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). As the group soon learns, ‘It’ has existed for several years, always causing chaos in Derry every 27 years by hunting children. The situation ends up getting even more personal for the group when Bill’s younger brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) ends up being one of It’s many victims. Thus, when they realize that they’re the only ones who can stop the creature, the Losers’ Club bands together to combat ‘It’, as they learn that they stand a stronger chance against the monster when they stick together.

While I usually try to avoid making comparisons between different adaptations of a source material, I must say that this film immediately establishes itself as the superior take on It right out the gate. Compared to some of the cheaper-looking elements from the miniseries, this film is incredibly well-shot and boasts an excellent visual/production design, which helps to produce a chilling and suspenseful atmosphere throughout. I mean, there’s only one real instance in this film where the cinematography isn’t very good, and that’s during a fight scene near the end (don’t worry, this isn’t spoiling anything) where it gets a bit too shaky, which in turn is paired with some rather hasty editing. Ultimately, though, that’s just one brief instance in a larger film that’s so well-polished on a technical level. And as for this being a horror film, It does deliver when it comes to having plenty of hair-raising scares. Many of these scares come from the fact that, as noted earlier, the film has far more creative reign to delve into some of the darker elements of the novel compared to the miniseries, which couldn’t really cover any of that stuff being a miniseries that aired on a nationwide network. Sure, it doesn’t include everything from the novel (i.e. the infamous orgy scene which, let’s be honest, was rightfully left out in this adaptation) but, suffice it to say, there are quite a lot of disturbing moments in this story; heck, some of them don’t even involve Pennywise. For the record, though, that’s not to say that Pennywise isn’t properly utilized in this; it’s just that he’s more of an additional layer to this film’s overall creep factor.

But, of course, the key to this whole film is its ability to make us sympathize with the members of the ‘Losers’ Club’ in their endeavors against ‘It’. As such, the main protagonists are arguably the film’s greatest strength. These seven leads, predominantly consisting of newcomers save for lead Jaeden Lieberher (who’s been in several big films recently like Midnight Special) and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, are all fantastic in their respective roles. Their camaraderie is terrific which, in turn, strengthens the Losers’ Club’s unity in the narrative while also giving us some bits of temporary reprieve from all the horrific moments that occur (e.g. Richie’s constant smart-ass remarks). Now, admittedly, because there are seven members in this group, some of them are focused on more than others. This is namely the case with Bill, given the whole plotline about his brother, Beverly, the lone girl of the group, and Ben, with the latter two sharing a sweet ‘young romance’ subplot. However, the film does still manage to establish all seven of the main characters and what they’re afraid of, which is then utilized by Pennywise to scare them. And on that note, what of Bill Skarsgård in the role of the Dancing Clown? Because after all, while several elements of the 1990 miniseries have aged poorly, Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise is still considered to be the best part about it. Ultimately, though, I’d say that Skarsgård has managed to top Curry in terms of performance. Sure, Skarsgård’s Pennywise isn’t exactly humorous like Curry’s Pennywise was, but that just makes him creepier whereas Curry’s version was a tad more charismatic… well, as charismatic as a demonic clown can be, for the record.

I’ve previously stated that I’m not that big a fan of horror films. And yet, that’s the beauty of this new adaptation of It. Even someone like me who isn’t really into this genre can get something out of this film, and that’s mainly because of how well-made it is. It has its creepy moments, for sure, and they’re handled excellently thanks to Muschietti’s strong direction and a brilliantly dark atmosphere. And while I still haven’t read the original novel yet, it seems like this is a far more faithful take on it; for one thing, it isn’t afraid to delve into some of the more demented parts of the book. But ultimately, this film’s biggest strength isn’t any of its horror elements, surprisingly. Instead, It succeeds primarily because of its well-written story about a bunch of kids, portrayed excellently by the film’s young leads, who go through a traumatic experience together which effectively parallels the journey of growing up. Thus, in a time where several modern horror films often turn out to be quite mediocre, this stands as one of the genre’s greatest efforts as of late. As such, I’m very much looking forward to the planned second installment of this duology which, as stated before, will take place 27 years after the events of this film with the main characters all grown up. I do hope, though, that it ends up turning out better than the second half of the 1990 miniseries which, as I noted last time in my review of it was, unfortunately, the weaker half of the story. But if they bring back the same crew from this film for the sequel, I’d say we’re in good hands.

Rating: 5/5!