An epic and suitably bloody conclusion to one of Stephen King's most polarising works, It: Chapter Two is a unique entry in horror movie canon, due to its depiction of love and loyalty as the ultimate weapon against the monster of hate and fear.
It: Chapter Two opens with a hate crime. Violent and ugly, it portrays the real-life horrors that man inflict upon one another even to this day. Then comes the clown. That bloody, deceptive clown, whose hunger for flesh is only equalled with his addiction to fear. Pennywise has stood the test of time as one of Stephen King's most chilling creations, due to his ability to tap into his chosen victim’s fears, secrets, faults, and nightmares. His assault is psychological as well as physical, inflicting wounds in the mind and spirit before taking his pound of flesh. Now 27 years has passed, and the evil once thought dead has risen once more, and he is hungry.
Tasked to take him on again are the "Losers Club". Now nearing their forties, the group of once inseparable best friends - Bill (James McAvoy), Beverly (Jessica Chastain), Richie (Bill Hader), Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), Ben (Joey Ryan), Eddie (Eddie Ransone), and Stanley (Andy Bean) - reunite in their hometown of Derry after decades apart. Rolling out the blood red welcome home carpet is Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), who has unfinished business with the seven outcasts that dared threaten his domain.
At 169 minutes, It: Chapter Two leaves no stone unturned in its exploration of characters human and supernatural. An ensemble piece through and through, the film is buoyed by the performances of its cast, who continue the fine characterisations seen in the first film to create complex portrayals of victims of various traumas, exploited by an evil presence that has plagued a small American town and transformed it into a strange hub of prejudice and hate. James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain lend their star power and fine dramatic chops to their turns as the film’s key dramatic anchors. Yet the standouts are Bill Hader and James Ransone, who bring excellent comedic timing and great chemistry to the proceedings. When they are on screen, the film truly shines.
Of course, there is Pennywise himself, again played very well by Bill Skarsgard. Interestingly, the demonic clown’s appearance doesn't quite have the same effect as the first movie. Director Andy Mushietti (Mama) has indeed created sequences that are imaginative, chilling, and utilise visual and practical effects very well. But they are surprisingly not, well, scary. Perhaps the first movie set-up Pennywise so well that he became diluted to an extent. Perhaps this films’ long runtime messed with traditional horror beats. Regardless, it is a curious thing.
It all leads to a unique element to this horror spectacle, and that is It: Chapter Two is as much about love and loyalty, as it is about scares and bloodshed. For all the nastiness that King's sprawling novel contained, key to its core is the bond between a group of outcasts that when together form a weapon against evil manifest. Horror films can be cynical exercises that revel in their brutishness. It: Chapter Two is violent, to be sure. But it also speaks to the power of camaraderie, friendship, and courage against impossible odds. It is the antithesis of say, The Mist, and that is a good thing.
