Adrian Li (11) | STAFF REPORTER
The highly anticipated horror film It Chapter Two, directed by Andy Muschietti, was released on September 6, 2019.
Based on the novel It by Stephen King and the sequel to 2017’s It, it was a satisfying and suitably scary conclusion. The film would gross over $449 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from both critics and the general audience.
It Chapter Two continues the story of the shape-shifting killer clown 27 years later after the events of 2017’s It, with the teens of the Losers Club returning to their hometown of Derry, Maine after Pennywise returns once again to terrorize the townsfolk. The film delivered the promises of a psychologically complex showdown between the bad clown and the adults he traumatized when they were kids. It boasts an ensemble cast comprised of Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader and Isaiah Mustafa among many others. Additionally, Bill Skarsgård reprises his praised role as Pennywise.
The main criticism for the film was for it’s overly long runtime of 165 minutes and weaker scares compared to it’s predecessor. Aja Romano of Vox called the film “fun and scary, but lacks what made Chapter One great.” Overall, It Chapter Two would receive an average rating of 6.13/10 on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise for the chemistry between actors and its faithfulness to the source material.
