IT: Chapter Two (2019)

Twenty-seven years after their first encounter with the terrifying Pennywise, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.

Jess’ Review

IT: Chapter Two left me with mixed feelings. I don’t think it’s as good as it’s predecessor, but it’s not a terrible film. It just strives to be scary in a creative, if not somewhat flamboyant way. It just doesn’t work for me, and as a horror, IT 2 flops.

The now-adult ‘losers club’ return to Derry to once-again face off against the sinister presence terrorising their hometown. It’s a basic plot.

The adult versions of the kids from Chapter One are really well cast. James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain unofficially take lead, but it’s Bill Hader’s casting as wise-cracking Richie that is absolutely spot-on. The group dynamic is good, with particularly engaging chemistry in earlier acts. However despite these acting talents lighting up the screen, the material is lacking. None of the performances are particularly powerful. It’s not memorable, and it feels like the script is hugely limiting to their full potential. But lets be honest, the filmmakers don’t care. IT is a horror box office hit, and people will go to see its continuation regardless of a shoddy script and its stifled actors.

The cinematography is decent in that glitzy Hollywood way, yet the main attraction comes with the CGI. I personally find it a bit garish at times and too squeaky clean for the horror genre, but the imagery is inventive. I’m sure this is at least somewhat credited to the legendary Stephen King (as I’m yet to tackle the 1000+ page novel), but I can’t deny that I loved the creativity of the hallucinations. Repugnant and often quite gory, the illusions brought forth by Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) become the focus of the film. They’re used to portray the horror and they’re designed to scare. For me, this sucks. Whilst I can enjoy the grotesque imagery and hellish creatures, the fear-factor just isn’t there. It’s lazy to depend on this, and despite the filmmakers’ best efforts to build tension, we’re left feeling cheated with bland jump-scares. For me, Chapter Two forfeits it’s horror elements for action and fantasy. And that’s ok- it’s just disappointing for those expecting some real semblance of horror.

Maybe I’m being too harsh. I guess my point is simply that the film isn’t scary. It flip-flops between a surrealist, dark fantasy and a disjointed coming-of-age film, sacrificing the scares along the way. It’s also dumb long which is an immediate turn-off for me- culminating in a lacklustre finale. I appreciate the final battle wasn’t a quick, easy affair, but it just wasn’t gripping. I’d lost interest and watched the screen void of any attachment to our heroes, instead just looking at the metaphorical ‘pretty colours.’

5.5/10