**While this is a SPOILER-FREE REVIEW, there may still be small IT spoilers taken from the book**
The sequel to Andy Muschietti’s adaptation of Stephen King’s IT is finally here. However, does it live up to the first one?
IT: Chapter Two packs less scares but increases the heart and usage of blood. As with all versions of the story, the Losers Club is at the center of it.
In doing this it provides the audience with a hook to be dragged back to the eerie town of Derry, Maine. Unfortunately for them, a sinister presence from their past awaits them.
While IT: Chapter One focuses on the children of Derry, Chapter Two explores them 27 years later. It’s Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa), the only member of the Losers Club to remain in Derry, that brings them back into the crosshairs of Pennywise.
Arriving home, the Losers Club remembers nothing of their past and yet the only way of defeating the evil is their memories. For each of them, it means confronting their terrible pasts outwith Pennywise and realizing what it means to grow up.
As always, the likes of James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain give great performances but Bill Hader surprises. While this is his first Horror movie, his portrayal of Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard in Chapter One) is a tour-de-force that puts any naysayers to shame.
Bill Skarsgard is on top form as Pennywise the Dancing Clown again. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of him this time around but when he’s onscreen, your hands will be over your face.
With this portrayal, Skarsgard cements his legacy as a horrifying Pennywise.
Much like the book, the movie isn’t afraid to delve into more sensitive subjects such as domestic abuse and prejudice. Its inclusion shows fear and horror doesn’t just come from an entity, but also within humanity itself.
All in all, IT: Chapter Two delivers and leaves the audience satisfied with its climax.
