It Chapter 2 – 2019
The best thing about thrillers is the surge and ebb of the collective audience fear factor. I like it when people around me are cringing, pulling hoodies over their eyes, jumping out of their skin, screaming in unison…..well, I saw It Chapter 2 in an audience of three, including myself. The only fear factor was whether I was going to miss the ending with a desperation restroom run. Have pity, the movie is almost three hours long. Plan ahead. The movie is vintage Stephen King with a menagerie of blood gushing ghouls and spittle oozing monstrosities. Because I had no auditorium allies to amp up my terror, I settled for counting how many differently designed hobgoblins and freaks pop out of nowhere to chase down the reconvened Loser’s Club, 27 years after Pennywise the sewer clown was defeated. I lost count. It was like a Halloween parade. The instigator, the audacious leader of this entourage of creeps, Pennywise is back, dismembering and cannibalizing Derry, Maine children and townspeople. Consequently, six of the seven, now adult members of the Loser’s Club, honor their preadolescent promise to return home and kill It if the killer clown ever came back. Hunt on. What I appreciated far more than the onslaught of bizarre creatures of gore was the storytelling juxtaposition of the personable kids of yore, perfectly matched to their adult counterparts. When the 2017 It was released—becoming the highest-grossing horror film of all time—I fell in love with those seven kids. It made me happy no end when It, the 2019 sequel, effectively weaved all the characters, youth and adult, present and past, in the righteous fight to kill the supernatural monster It once and for all. Even better, in order to eradicate It, each adult character was required to confront and slay their own personal monsters once and for all. We witness how familial and environmental stressors take root with the kids, eventually exacting a damaging toll on their adult lives. The intersection of a paranormal, terrestrial Monster with human psychological monsters is a strategic and creative plot device. It Chapter 2 is more gory than scary. The psychic layers are predictable but compelling. The adult cast isn’t as powerful or engaging as the young actors but the matchups work and the action flows without compromise. In the horror film genre, Stephen King stories are reliably entertaining, often terrifying and sometimes provocative. Think Christine, Carrie and Cujo. If you like the genre, take it from me and see both Its. You won’t be disappointed.
I absolutely hate horror movies and would never go to see one intentionally, but I loved your review, Peggy. You’re such a great writer!