A sprawling, effects-heavy sequel with a strong cast and a few memorable character moments, but it overextends itself and often trades dread for repetition and noise. Best approached as a fan-servicey, melancholy coda to the first film rather than a fully satisfying horror experience.
It Chapter Two
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Horror · Thriller
Wed · 2h 49m
Director: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader
Overview
27 years after overcoming the malevolent supernatural entity Pennywise, the former members of the Losers' Club, who have grown up and moved away from Derry, are brought back together by a devastating phone call.
Director
Andy Muschietti
Cast
Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader
Curator Review
Verdict
A sprawling, effects-heavy sequel with a strong cast and a few memorable character moments, but it overextends itself and often trades dread for repetition and noise. Best approached as a fan-servicey, melancholy coda to the first film rather than a fully satisfying horror experience.
Best for
fans of the first chapter who want closure
viewers who like ensemble horror with emotional backstory
people who enjoy long, glossy studio horror with big set pieces
fans of Bill Hader’s comic-drama energy
Skip if
you want tight, efficient horror
you dislike long runtimes and repetitive scare beats
you prefer subtle supernatural menace over CGI spectacle
you were hoping for a more disciplined ending
Overview
It Chapter Two has the ingredients for a rich return to Derry: a strong adult cast, a story built around memory and trauma, and a premise that should deepen the emotional stakes. In practice, it often feels overstuffed, stretching a relatively simple confrontation into a three-hour procession of flashbacks, jump scares, and side quests.
Worth noting
The movie is at its best when it leans into the Losers’ Club dynamic, especially the awkward, bruised chemistry of adults revisiting old wounds. There are flashes of wit and pathos, and the film understands that the real monster is less Pennywise than the unresolved damage the characters carry with them.
Bottom line
But the horror construction is uneven, with too many scenes that repeat the same rhythm of false alarm, reveal, and reset. The result is a sequel that has scale, polish, and some standout performances, yet never quite finds a satisfying balance between emotional reunion and genuine terror.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Jessie (3.5★) · 11268 likes
Pennywise is homophobic 😔
Hungkat (2.5★) · 10058 likes
It was very surreal to see a 3-hour movie where a bunch of adults gets together to verbally bully a little clown.
Patrick Willems (2.5★) · 8380 likes
Every scene in It Chapter 2: Person walks into empty room *Scary music* Suspense escalates They reach for the door *BIG SCARY MUSIC STING* There's nothing there "Oh, thank god, it's nothing. I'll just turn around now" GROSS MONSTER RIGHT BEHIND THEM AHHHHH
david (3★) · 5792 likes
i hate It Chapter 2 why the fuck is there a killer clown in a gay romcom. Bitch i'll kill you
nathan (3.5★) · 5373 likes
pennywise literally dying because of his self-esteem issues.... i’m feeling very attacked
Themes
childhood trauma, memory and repression, return to hometown, friendship and reunion, evil as a recurring force, adult reckoning with the past, loss of innocence, survival and closure
Topics
horror, thriller, ensemble cast, supernatural, coming-of-age aftermath, trauma, nostalgia, jump scares, small-town dread, dark fantasy