“Take Itttt”… It’s been 27 years since little Georgie was eaten by the sinister clown of Old Derry. Awaking from its slumber, Pennywise begins terrorizing the town once again, feeding off people’s fears but of course, how could IT ever forget the infamous Loser’s club.
The second installation of the franchise is centered around the reunion of the Loser’s club and how they plan on killing our beloved dancing clown. This movie is a 3 hour long jump scare. Sounds exciting, albeit it involves more gory scenes than expected. Stephen King, the author of IT, did not fail to entertain us with his ingenious transformations of Pennywise, into the loser’s greatest fears; from Bill’s guilt, Beverly’s tormenting father, Richie’s neglecting parents, Eddie’s hypochondria, Ben’s weight, Stanley’s OCD to the death of Mike’s parents, all of the loser’s face their fears once again, only this time, it’s more amplified.
The plotline involves a good mix of the present day and 1988 cycles, filling some of the gaps during the 1988 summer when the losers parted ways. This gave the movie a sentimental value, which is always appreciated, as the first installation and the young cast absolutely won our hearts 2 years ago. The casting for the adult counterparts of the losers was on point. Their performance was astounding and perfectly cultivated to resemble the personalities of their younger selves. As for Bill Skarsgård’s performance as Pennywise, I have just two words; downright bloodcurdling. The plan to kill the ancient shape shifting clown gave an unexpected and convoluted twist to the plotline, but as you watch further, everything begins to make sense, leading to a very satisfying ending.
Despite the thrilling and horrific scenes, the script added some humour to the movie with Richie’s hilariously inappropriate jokes and Eddie’s defenses. This gave the audience a break from the darkness and gore that surrounded the film. One of the most anticipated elements was the classic love triangle between Ben, Beverly and Bill. In the first film, Bev falls for Bill, thinking he wrote the poem for her, when in fact it was Ben she was falling for. What got the fans most excited was Ben’s transformation, which I must say, caused a very big distraction while watching the movie. Beverly’s realization that Ben was the one who wrote her the poem was beautifully captured when the two love birds were facing their deadliest fears and end up saving each other.
Easter Egg Alert! In a scene where Beverly is drowning in blood in a washroom, a number of faces appear, one of them being John from the Shining, yelling “Here’s Johnny!”. This was probably in reference to the upcoming sequel to Stephen King’s The Shining, called Doctor Sleep.
Benjamin Wallfisch, the composer for the soundtrack, has absolutely outdone it with his eerie and thrilling music, sending chills down your spine and giving the audience the ultimate cinematic experience. The visual effects were stunning and made the zombie like creatures look realistic and creepy.
Overall, the movie is terrific. It’s everything you expect it to be, from Andrés Muschietti’s direction to the plot, the script, the music and the effects. This has been one of the most anticipated movies of 2019 and for a good reason. So, don’t miss out and book your tickets soon!
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