It’s been 2 years since the first IT, and 27 years for the losers who got down with the murderous clown in their hometown of Derry, Maine. Pennywise is back! After reemerging, thanks to a preordained alarm clock, he’s starving for a new batch of victims and he is as stomach-churning as ever.
The last time the Losers took down Pennywise, they took a blood oath to return to Derry if the monstrous clown ever came back. Well, if you know the book or the original movie, or even just basic Hollywood acquisitiveness, then you know very well…he came back! Bill, Richie, Eddie, Beverly and Mike are all grown up, and this time stopping the evil clown is a matter of adulthood.
Everyone, except Mike, has left Derry. He has been spending most of his time in the attic of the library learning all he can about the local history of Derry, and the Native American stories of the IT creature. With more and more incidents confirming of the clown’s reemergence, Mike focuses on a way to stop it for good.
On the other hand, the rest of the Losers have made it an effort to put distance between themselves and their grim hometown and forget all about Pennywise. Bill has become a famous, er infamous, Hollywood screenwriter. Big Ben is now a hot rod with a hot bod architect. Richie is a big-time comedian, and Eddie has become a scattered risk-analyst. Beverley, well she’s grown up, apart from that it seems like she’s stable-ish. Wholesome Stanley lives with his wife in a cozy apartment.
Mike tracks down all the Losers and reminds them of their blood oath and convinces them that he has a way to finally finish off the clown. Without giving too much away, they all must face their fears of past regrets and lingering negative dispositions. The individual paths provide some genuinely chilling scenes. I WILL NEVER LOOK AT FORTUNE COOKIES THE SAME. There are some of the same formulaic jump scares in some places (Each token find was basically “Oh is something scary there? Nope, let me turn around- AH SCARY!”). I think they relied a little too heavily on the jump-scare and less on the visceral talent Bill Skarsgard brings to the table, which was a disappointing departure from the first film. Don’t let that discourage you though! There were definitely some uncomfortable scenes in the film that’ll give you a blood-curdling reaction.
There were many good themes some directly from Stephen King himself and others creative freedom of the Directors. Some themes and scenes could have been done with a little more thought but that might just be my hyper-sensitive self acting up…you decide!
I do like the underlying messages brought in the film, the main one being that your trauma is not always your fault. Childhood can be haunting. There are no doubts moments encapsulated with embarrassment, secrets, and trauma. Part of freeing yourself is facing that trauma and acknowledging it wasn’t your fault. As well as how important it is to be inspired from your innocence or the innocent. And that friendship and encouragement will always prevail! HOORAH!
Overall, this was a good film.It might have run a little too long but it did have good content. Viewers can look forward to great acting and some genuinely terrifying moments.