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Andy Muschietti and writer Gary Dauberman’s It: Chapter Two follows 2017’s record breaking coming-of-age horror mashup with a moving journey that shows just how much power we give to fear and how antagonists can be their own worst enemy.
While not a technical masterpiece, Muschietti and Dauberman’s sequel delivers a beautiful story that develops the characters of our beloved Losers’ Club in the most deserving of ways. The film is scattered full of fun Easter eggs and touching symbolism for those who found themselves inspired by 2017’s reboot introduction to these relatable characters.
27 years later, we meet The Losers once more, and it becomes abundantly clear that they still have many fears to conquer – from abusive parenting ricocheted by marriage, to careers full of lies. In fact, it’s almost uncanny the way each Losers’ diverse issues can seem so similar once put under the microscope; as if they never truly left each other, or childhood. Mike may be the only one who truly remembers their bond and trauma, but the others are still undeniably tied with one another and the past traumas once thought to be conquered. Which is actually realistic for a sequel - time tends to separate us from our real life character developments in a way that makes the changes a little more subtle than the initial courage in a moment of newfound strength.
The Losers’ responses to Mike’s phone call, however, already gives them a touch of that childhood strength. Though the fear of his caller ID seems to affect them all far more than the expected stomach drop from an ex’s text, there is no denying that even with their hazy memories, The Losers have a strength in them they never lost after their lessons and bonding in Chapter One. Bev, especially, is proof of this. To find the strength to leave an abuser for the second time in her life is inspiring, and goes to show how much we are willing to do for those we love. When it comes to the needs of others, we seem to have so much more courage in us – which is why the later, independent events of the film will be so important not just for The Losers but for Bev, in particular.
The most tragic one, however, may be Stan, who never got to learn this. Instead, he sacrificed himself, unable to believe that he could find the courage to face It. This part is heartbreaking, and yet, another powerful commentary on fear, how hard it is to control, and how much it can tear you apart from the inside.
For the others, old scars searing in pain, sudden vomit attacks, and crashed cars may be frightening enough incentive to make one curious on why this old friend is calling.
Once The Losers reunite – though it is unclear how much they even remember each other’s existence – it’s touching to see the heartfelt greetings and reminiscing. What’s even more smile inspiring, and even relieving, is to see how quickly they return to their childhood banter. So much of the unique joy that comes with watching a coming-of-age film is due to that particular banter that you scarcely find elsewhere. It’s one of the few kinds of scripts where dialogue is so wonderfully full and should be exhausted, as the deeper meanings hide playfully in the subtext. Due to this, I was concerned that an adult sequel was destined to be less comedic than the first, even with our beloved SNL alum Bill Hader’s destined casting. Somehow, though, the entire cast of talents they managed to book makes the banter of 12-year-olds seem even funnier in the mouths of adults.
And it’s at that round table full of jokes, teases, and nostalgia that The Losers first start to realize the weight of their return to Derry and the town’s tragic patterns. After playing with disturbing foreshadows of repressed sexuality in the homophobic attacks of the opening, this scene has a little more fun with foreshadows when a strange, mutated baby with spider legs cracks out of a fortune cookie – not unlike Its final form during the film’s climax.
After learning of Stan’s death and Bev’s hauntingly prophetic dreams, The Losers agree to stay and end It once and for all. Mike informs them that they must go full Scooby-Doo and split up in order to retrieve old memories and tokens to sacrifice for the Ritual of Chüd.
As The Losers rediscover their dark pasts and encounter various frights, we see more of their previous journeys, but we also learn more about their personal strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to recognize the strength in numbers, yes, but how can you ever believe in your team, if you don’t believe in your own contribution? (I know, I know, sounds like a tacky motivational poster). While they were prepared to join forces and find It together, they must confront their truest demons and in doing so, learn that they can be strong on their own, too. Something Stan, unfortunately, never got to learn.
But it really does make all the difference. For example, in forcing himself to go in to the pharmacy basement, as well as in stabbing Henry Bowers, Eddie at least realized his strength enough to go back down through that gray water. And when he needed a little boost, Bev was able to remind him that anything can kill monsters, so long as he believes it does. One line to sum up the films’ entire message.
As for Richie – Eddie’s death broke all our hearts, but if he hadn’t accepted his sexuality and feelings for Eddie after Pennywise’s taunting, maybe he never would have been able to stand up to Pennywise in the end, after losing his first love. This indescribable acceptance and loss led to some of the film’s most significant and moving character development – the Chandler Bing, the comedian, the joker, was the first to break down and cry, allowing his friends to finally embrace and support him.
What’s most incredible about these individual tasks, however, is that they’re so much more than being scared or threatened by It. After they all face their most internalized and repressed fears and trauma, Pennywise completely screws himself over with his taunting of The Losers. He has so much fun playing with their fears, that he doesn’t realize that he is the one who actually provided most of them with their tokens.
If he hadn’t taunted Bill with fake Georgie and little demon limbs, Bill never would have had that paper boat to burn – I don’t even think Bill went to that sewer grate with the intention of finding a physical token. But I can tell you that the Silver Bullet would have been a lot harder to drag through the gray water and burn.
Along with this, It recreated Bev’s childhood home in such detail that when It welcomes her in as Mrs. Kersh and lets her look around, she is able to retrieve Ben’s postcard. All so It could give her a strange and amusing scare with no real threat.
This, of course, goes to show how powerful an enemy can be, so long as we allow it. Because that’s what The Losers are, really. They may be our heroes, but the moment they swallowed their fears, overcame It, and welcomed him to The Losers’ Club [,asshole], they became his enemy. And in the joys of taunting and scaring – his ultimate goal – he got messy and only made them stronger. Somehow, this only further drives home The Losers’ notion that Pennywise is no more than a bully – “a sloppy bitch.” Bullies love making themselves feel good as they make others feel small – so much so that as their egos rise, they become blind to the logic of how their tactics can become counterproductive. Tortoise and the Hare, anyone?
And yes, I know that the Ritual of Chüd failed. But that doesn’t mean that The Losers finding those tokens and It practically handing it to them was all for nothing. Finding those tokens led to the journeys and triumphs they needed to build enough courage to face him. And I don’t just mean the strengths they found on the way. If any of those Losers had shown up empty handed and without a token, they wouldn’t have had the courage to go down there since they thought tokens were their only hope. They already knew they were a step ahead of It, so why not face him? Why shouldn’t they be able to take him down?
Much in the same way Pennywise strengthens The Losers, The Losers know all too well how much strength they can give to his power. The Losers know that so long as they fear It, It will have power over them. A beautifully direct call out to the fact that this is literally how fear functions psychologically. Whether irrational or based in logic and trauma, fears only rule us if we let it, no matter how difficult it is to stand up to. The amygdala is trained to fear what we run away from; thus, continuing to make us want to run away. If we run away from It, Pennywise, a leper, or any other forms, It will only continue to chase us. I don’t know about anyone else, but a scaredy cat like me sure felt awfully confident heading in to the theatre knowing that to fear Pennywise would be a bad move.
With this knowledge as their weapon, when the ritual of Chüd fails, The Losers must continue to challenge themselves using both logic and symbolism to face their fears and destroy It. After being torn apart to face their individual fears separately – can I get a tragic “aw” for Bev having to face her fears in the school Ben already had to revisit – The Losers must band together to make It “small.” After the devastating loss of Eddie – my favourite Loser, by the way – they once more have to force their pain aside to get the job done. Only this time, they can finally band together as a unit and use each other’s strengths.
If Pennywise can torment them almost solely with emotional abuse until they’re weak enough to kill, then so can they. And that is so much of what makes this finale superb – recognizing the laws of the force they’re fighting and flipping the villian’s silly antics right on its head.
Pennywise finds himself cornered by unafraid – and, quite frankly, pissed off – Losers who call him a bully and a stupid clown, to the point where he barely knows what form to take or who to target. Like a cornered child failing to come up with a rebuttal, It frantically takes shape after shape, failing to do any harm. Even the frightening woman from Stan’s painting appears, showing them that he is still with them in spirit, and perhaps, that he would have been able to conquer It after all. Or maybe, it shows that It still resorts to trying to scare Stan, but cannot in his absence – just as Stan intended.
Finally, in shrinking Pennywise to a pathetic puddle of a deranged infant, The Losers rip out Its heart and destroys the form he must obey the laws of; thus, destroying the deadlights and It once and for all. A bully is just a bully, and fears are just fears – only ever as strong as you allow them to be.
In an ending that so beautifully seems to pay homage to King’s very own The Body – or, more commonly known, Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me – we get to see Bill write about the power of friendship in his new novel. We receive a final goodbye from Stan, a touching, shared love between Mike and Bill, and the same for Bev and Ben, along with Richie finally accepting his sexuality, and his love for Eddie. After 27 years, all is finally well for our beloved Losers’ Club.
It: Chapter Two Photos from IMDb
It: Chapter Two Cinematography by Checco Varese
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