Movie Review: IT Chapter Two Makes Pennywise Even Creepier
At nearly 3 hours, IT Chapter Two feels like the Avengers: Endgame of horror flicks. You go to the bathroom before and pray nothing is too scary to make you go again. Yet, I appreciated its length because, with the price of tickets, I want my movies to be day events. Moreover, Director Andy Muschietti takes his time to dive into the psyche and secrets of “The Losers Club.”
While I loved the film, I do feel, before you see it, that it is necessary to see the first one: It. This sequel is not, at all, a stand alone. Luckily, the audience I viewed it with LOVED THE LOSERS, and felt as protective of them as adults, which is good when you consider they haven’t aged well. It could be the natural memory loss that strikes anyone leaving Derry or it could be they are making some sad, adult choices, but we meet our Losers when they most feel like losers. Jessica Chastain is a meeker and more wounded Beverly Marsh, and her journey is to rediscover her inner badass. James McAvoy’s Bill Denbrough spends the film still trying to forgive himself over the loss of Georgie and his inability to write good endings. Isaiah Mustafa’s Mike Hanlon is obsessed with waiting for and destroying Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). James Ransone as Eddie is incredibly hilarious, but also makes you realize the cute, kid hypochondriac ends up becoming a really tragic adult. Jay Ryan is sweetness and elegance as a revamped Ben Hanscom. And finally, there is Bill Hader as Richie Tozier. (Notice, I did not mention Stanley Uris as played by Andy Bean)
IT CHAPTER TWO – Final Trailer [HD]
Hader steals the movie as Richie: getting both the loudest cheers and laughs. Hader is vulnerable, raw, and completely captivating as a character that can give punchlines but not handle life’s punches. Frankly, no character, since confronting Pennywise, has fully embraced life or, at least, lived it the way they wanted. Yet, Hader’s Richie and Ransone’s Eddie become a “comedy duo;” stealing scenes with their F-word fueled interactions and open fear. Their dynamic most echoes the chemistry between Finn Wolfhard’s Richie and Jack Dylan Grazer’s Eddie. Admittedly, seeing the younger cast brings about some of the best scenes in the film because they are used for both light-hearted memories and nightmarish confrontations between Pennywise and The Losers Club.
IT CHAPTER TWO – IT Ends Featurette
In this film, the motivations and history of Pennywise are elaborated to witness there are more ways than one to make a person feel small. What I love about IT Chapter Two is that it shows fear stems from shame, and that idea someone can make you feel like the “least version” of yourself. Hence, Pennywise is not so much Fear Itself but Shame Incarnate. In this round, Skarsgård amplifies how disgusting and petty Pennywise can be. There were several times where I wanted to say, “Shut Up, Penny!” He is the horror equivalent of “Becca;” the girl in class that talks about everybody but will cut anybody that talks about her. His thin-skinned nature and avid desire to hurt children could get him a job in a certain administration, but, in the cinemas, it makes you feel like It is more of Ick.
The film is visually stunning, which allows the cruelty and brutality of this Stephen King, create character to come to life. He is visceral; using people’s insecurities to, literally, eat them, which was, obviously, seen in the first film, but by including more scenes where you see him killing kids, you want Pennywise to go straight to hell. It is the film’s boldest, most gruesome step, but it shows that Pennywise, now a cultural phenomena, is genuinely a murderous jerk and a possible re-think as a Halloween costume. (Do you really want to dress like a child-killer?)
IT CHAPTER TWO – 360 Experience
IT Chapter Two ups its creepiness and its scares. It is gross, horrifying, and, at times, uncomfortable, which is the point! You don’t go to see Nightmare On Elm Street because you want a heartfelt analysis on the power of dreams. Still, I like that IT Chapter Two showed Pennywise is a loser; who bullies and kills others to defend his own weakness. Also, it used its platform to make a comment on LGBTQIA rights and the need to further accept all sexualities as equal. IT Chapter Two comes out on September 6.
