It Chapter Two REVIEW: Pennywise return is THRILLING horror adventure but tad too long

Two years ago, the first cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novel hit cinema screens. It went on to dominate the box office, as its $700 million haul saw the film top The Exorcist as the highest-grossing horror of all time. But with the book being such a mammoth work, the first film only covered the Losers Club childhood scenes. And now It: Chapter Two sees what happened 27 years later as Pennywise returns to terrorise Derry’s kids once again.

The Losers are all grown-up and have left their small town in Maine.

That is until Isaiah Mustafa’s Mike, the only member of the group to stay in Derry, calls them all home with news that the clown is back – after they all swore blood oaths as children that they would return if needed.

With the first film’s success, it’s unsurprising that Warner Bros roped in A-listers James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader to lead the Losers Club adults.

The three put in sterling and convincing performances as Bill, Beverly and Richie, with the latter providing plenty of laughs alongside James Ransone’s hypochondriac Eddie.

This may come as a surprise for a horror movie, but It: Chapter Two isn’t your conventional entry into the niche genre.

More hard Spielberg with a Stranger Things/Goonies vibe, It: Chapter Two has plenty of laughs and heartwarming moments as it does jump scares and gore.

Audiences who usually avoid horror should think twice about missing this and its predecessor; taking a chance on films that are really their own genre – one defined by the story’s creator himself, Stephen King.

Additionally, Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise is just as creepy as before, taking on even more bizarre forms, although perhaps the CGI zombie screaming is a bit overdone.

It: Chapter Two’s biggest flaw is its run time, coming in at a whopping two hours and 50 minutes, making it 10 minutes shy of Avengers Endgame.

Such an indulgence could be excused when considering the over 1000 page source material, but there’s plenty that could have been cut out – especially during the dip of a middle.

Nevertheless, the movie’s third act makes up for this in a thrilling conclusion to this epic two-parter, one that may leave some fans with a nostalgic tear in their eye rather than thoughts of a sleepless night ahead.

It: Chapter Two will be released in UK cinemas on September 5, 2019.