2019 has proven itself to be the year of Stephen King, with Pet Sematary and the upcoming Doctor Sleep, and now it’s time for Skarsgård to season his prey with fear one final time. It’s been two years for us… but Pennywise has waited twenty-seven. No wonder he’s so cranky! In It: Chapter Two, Andy Muschietti’s Stephen King adaptation leads the Losers Club to their final showdown against the nightmarish sewer dwelling clown.
You know what they say about Derry. No one who dies here ever really dies
Mrs. Kersh to Beverly, before she disappears into the blackened kitchen and dances around, blurred out and naked…
We return to Derry, Maine in 2016 during the town’s carnival: the perfect setting for a clown to begin his reign of terror once again. The narrative primarily focuses on the adult Loser’s journey to end Bonzo the Clown’s horrifying career, occasionally flashing back to 1980s Derry – staying faithful to the structure of the original novel. Fans of King’s It will recognise the opening scene as one of the more iconic incidents, when Adrian Mellon and his boyfriend Don Hagarty are attacked by a group of homophobic youths. Because this is Derry, the attack escalates with Mellon being thrown straight into the clutches of Derry’s resident cannibalistic clown, leading an aged Mike Hanlon to reluctantly reunite the Losers…
Begrudgingly, the Losers return to Derry, revisiting important locations from their childhood, where they learn about the Ritual of Chüd: a Native American ritual used in the past, according to the film version’s lore, to defeat Pennywise. If you enjoyed discovering the lore of Derry in the book or from Chapter One, you’ll be glad to hear it plays an important role in Chapter Two. The Ritual of Chüd in particular and the “origins” of Pennywise in Derry, though scaled down from the novel version which featured time travel and smoke huts, nonetheless captures the creative universal power of It. Though the disturbing nature of Derry and its denizens seems to be less well represented than the first part, and especially in comparison to the book, elements like these are lifted to give fans of King’s original horror a good excuse to rewatch the same scenes, shot by shot, to find all the hidden turtle references and nods to untold histories of Derry – of which there are plenty. If you’re unfamiliar with what a turtle has to do with battling a demonic clown entity, it was somewhat omitted from the film and ‘90s mini series adaptations. This is where Chapter Two starts to differentiate from King’s version, changing the way the Losers confront It and how the story ends, so if you had lofty expectations about how certain scenes from the final chapters of the book might be implemented, you might want to quell some of those ideas.
Swear, if it isn’t dead, if it ever comes back, we’ll come back too
Young Bill Denbrough to the Losers Club
Besides his generally unsettling mannerisms, Skarsgård’s signature bleached skin and red grin are made all the more threatening in part thanks to the characterisation of each of the Losers’. The quieter moments before headless children and zombie-esque lepers appear out of nowhere give us the opportunity to connect with them on an emotional level, revealing their problems with school bullies and the way the people of Derry were reluctant to notice the severity of their circumstances – which just so happens to include being maimed and cannibalised by a clown. Nothing out of the ordinary for residents of Derry.
While It: Chapter One was recognised for its emphasis on ‘80s nostalgia, telling the coming-of-age story of the Losers, Chapter Two notably moves away from this familiar tone. Although it doesn’t quite match the same sense of wonder as the first part, Chapter Two nonetheless preys on our emotional connection to the gang (a little like Skarsgård) thanks to these flashback sequences, showing us how they have grown up and how much Derry itself has changed. It’s a potent theme to the film that adapts the mirrored time narrative of the book well.
However, if there’s one thing that isn’t quite as potent as it is in Chapter One, or indeed in the book, it’s the fear factor: Chapter Two is, unfortunately, notably less scary than its predecessor. While Skarsgård certainly doesn’t clown around when it comes to instilling coulrophobia in even the most hardened circus attendee veterans, there is an impression that Pennywise presented more of a threat in Chapter One because the main characters were children, thus more susceptible to his haunting charms. Coincidentally, the scarier scenes in Chapter Two tend to involve child victims, or are during flashbacks to the Losers’ childhood. While this is key to his success as a sewer dwelling predator clown in the book as well, there is an impression that the film’s structure is more linear and doesn’t allow for these moments of horror to linger as they did in the first part. Chapter One switched more successfully from calm and tranquil to intense and oppressive thanks to Skarsgård’s disturbing ability to spring out of dark corners baring his freakish clown shoes and toothy grin…
There are still some well crafted moments that utilise Skarsgård’s “unique talents,” which involve skulking in the dark while taking advantage of expertly devised lighting that elevates the effect of having a distorted clown face staring out at you from the darkness – which, let’s face it, is scary enough even without his unsettling “parting eye” trick. He is certainly, at the very least, giving clowns a bad name. Incidentally, be sure to keep an eye on the background for anything that looks even mildly out of place…
Something happens when you leave this town. The farther away, the hazier it all gets. But me, I never left. I remember all of it
Mike Hanlon reveals the power of Pennywise over Derry and the Losers
One of the great successes of It: Chapter One was its casting choices. Very rarely are child casts as good as they were in Chapter One, yet they were vital to making It as compelling as it was. Regardless of whether they were being stalked by the decomposed bodies of past victims, or the sadistic psychopath Henry Bowers, the Losers’ reactions and relationships were consistently convincing and compelling. Our prior connection with these characters is also used as a foundation to toy with our emotions in Chapter Two when we are introduced to them once again. For those who already know what’s in store for certain members of King’s merry Fellowship, much like Derry’s Standpipe, the flood gates will burst open.
Since leaving Derry, most of the Losers went on to lead happy, successful lives – though Beverly’s story takes a darker path that reflects some of the more realistic horrors of the adult world and shows that the horrors of the real world don’t always come from intergalactic, shape-shifting space clowns. Fans of the novel will remember Tom Rogan as Beverly’s abusive husband. However, his presence in It: Chapter Two is perhaps less prominent than the novel – as is the case with Bill’s wife, Audra. Likewise, Teach Grant’s role as the older convicted murderer and psychopath Henry Bowers, is cut short which is a shame as Henry and his gang never got the chance to fully present their story in the first part despite having significantly more page time in the novel.
The cast from It: Chapter One return to reprise their roles and are joined by their older counterparts. It will come as no surprise to learn that James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader are the highlight of the casting, though Bill Hader’s (Ritchie) friendship with James Ransone (Eddie) holds as one of the films most endearing relationships. Seeing James McAvoy portray an older Bill as a famous horror writer (channeling a bit of Stephen King) faithfully captures his role from the novel, while Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader’s appearances as Beverly and Richie were met with a warm reception from fans of Chapter One, as they were the popular dream picks to portray these characters and were even Sophia Lillis and Finn Wolfhard’s actors of choice. As you might expect, Bill Hader brings an element of nervous comic relief, perfectly encapsulating Ritchie “Trashmouth” Tozier’s personality, making him easily one of the best casting choices.
Richie: Who killed a psychotic clown before he was fourteen?
Eddie: I did
Richie: Who pulled Henry Bowers’s knife out of his own face and stabbed him with it?
Eddie: I did
Ritchie: Who married a woman ten times his body mass?
Eddie: I did
Beep beep, Ritchie. Lines like these are why Bill Hader was such a great casting choice
As well as returning tracks from the first film, with “Every 27 Years” reprising its role as the delicate, nostalgic overture, Benjamin Wallfisch’s new score conveys the same tone and style from Chapter One. Just as “The Clubhouse” echoes “Every 27 Years,” flooding your ears with sounds that recall nostalgic childhood memories, scores such as “Firefly” mirror the iconic opening theme that accompanied Georgie to Pennywise’s drain, starting with a gentler melody that evokes a childlike innocence, before descending into creepier soundscapes. Conversely, “Stan’s Letter” will almost certainly make you well up! Certainly if you’re a fan of how Wallfisch was able to simultaneously build up suspense or craft calmer melodies that drift in the background – or should that be float? – It: Chapter Two’s OST won’t disappoint, providing an audio narration that reflects the directorial style of Andy Muschietti and perfectly compliments the thematic nature of the story.
For 27 years, I dreamt of you. I craved you. Oh, I missed you! Waiting for this very moment!
Pennywise/ It
Although not as scary as Chapter One, It: Chapter Two does still produce a tense atmosphere, though it’s true strength really lies in the story and the way it uses our past connection with the characters to pull us in. As a conclusion to the horror epic, it finds similar success as Chapter One, with compelling characters, eerie set designs and music to compliment a provocative story. However, it is lacking in consistent potent horror – even if the few scary moments it has are effective, and fans of the novel may find fault with its somewhat anti-climactic conclusion. At least it offers good advice for its viewers, like don’t hire a clown for your next birthday party, and stay clear of circuses and storm drains: especially if you hear voices down there!
