Day 11: Returning to Derry with It Chapter 2.
After the massive success of IT (2017), a sequel was pretty much guaranteed. While I enjoyed the first film for what it was, I never thought it quite lived up to all the hype. The scares leaned a bit too cartoonish at times, the CGI was hit-or-miss, and the story didn’t always pack the emotional punch it could have. Still, it was a fun ride with a great cast that grew on you as the movie went along. The 1980s setting and production design were spot-on, giving the story a real sense of time and place.
That said, I actually prefer IT Chapter Two. It raises the stakes, digs deeper into the characters, and gives the story a more mature edge. Even though it came out only two years later in 2019, it feels like a natural evolution — darker, more emotional, and surprisingly introspective for a film about a killer clown. It’s not just a sequel that repeats the formula; it’s one that expands it in ways I didn’t expect.
Set 27 years after the first film, Chapter Two catches up with the Losers Club as adults who’ve all gone their separate ways. Everyone except Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa), who chose to stay behind in Derry, build a life there, and keep an eye on the town’s dark history. The rest have moved on — or at least tried to. Each of them found some version of success, building comfortable lives far removed from the horrors of their childhood. But success doesn’t mean peace. Beneath the polished exteriors and career wins, they’re still scarred by what happened in Derry, even if most of them don’t remember it yet.
It’s that buried trauma that pulls them back together when Pennywise resurfaces. Mike’s call isn’t just a reunion invite, it’s a wake-up call, dragging them out of their new realities and forcing them to face the past they’ve spent decades running from.
As the story unfolds and their memories return, Mike explains that the only way to defeat Pennywise is through the Ritual of Chüd, using artifacts from their past like Georgie’s paper boat or Ben’s childhood love poem. Each Loser revisits key locations from their youth to recover these items, while Pennywise manipulates events to free Henry Bowers, adding another layer of danger.
In the climactic battle in the sewers, the Losers confront both Pennywise and the fears that have haunted them since childhood. In a heartbreaking moment, Eddie is impaled while saving Richie, showing that even in victory, the cost is high. Ultimately, the group defeats Pennywise and ends his reign of terror. The movie closes on a bittersweet note, the Losers are free, their bonds stronger than ever, but the scars of their past, and the lives lost along the way, linger quietly, reminding us that some trauma never truly disappears.
What I loved most about It Chapter Two is how much more mature it feels than the first movie. It digs into real trauma without shying away from difficult truths. Beverly’s cycle of abuse is handled with care, Richie’s hidden sexuality adds emotional depth, and the lingering scars each character carries make the stakes feel real. This mix of character exploration and horror makes the sequel far more compelling, even though it didn’t perform as well at the box office. The first film earned $701.8 million worldwide, while Chapter Two brought in $473.1 million, a reminder that even the best-crafted stories don’t always get the audience they deserve.