It: Chapter Two Is Satisfying Enough

This week at the movies, we’ve got the return of a killer clown (It: Chapter Two, starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader). What are the critics saying?

It: Chapter Two (2019)

62%

In September of 2017, the Stephen King novel adaptation It debuted to widespread critical acclaim and a number of box office records, but as fans of the book already knew, it only told half of the story. In other words, a sequel covering the other half was inevitable, and now, two years later, that conclusion has arrived. It: Chapter Two catches up with the so-called Losers Club 27 years after the events of the first film; the kids have all grown-up and, with the exception of Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), left town to move on with their lives elsewhere. However, when children begin to go missing in Derry again, the gang reunites to end the evil for good. The sequel hasn’t resonated with critics the way the first installment did, with several reviews calling out the heavy use of CGI, the hefty 169-minute runtime, and the lack of truly chilling moments among the film’s shortcomings. But most still found it a worthy finale, thanks largely to its impeccable casting — which includes Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James McAvoy, Mustafa, Jay Ryan, and James Ransone, as well as the returning younger stars, and, of course, Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise — and its efforts to recreate what made the source material so terrifying and surprisingly poignant. This one probably isn’t going to break any records, but it should bring satisfying closure for most fans.

Also Opening This Week In Limited Release

• Ága (2018) 96% , a family drama about a married indigenous couple in Siberia trying to reconnect with their estranged daughter, is at 91%.
• Ms. Purple (2019) 86% , Justin Chon‘s drama about two siblings who reunite to care for their terminally ill father, is at 87%.
• Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019) 89% , a documentary portrait of the versatile singer’s remarkable life and career, is at 83%.
• Strange but True (2019) 54% , a mystery about a family that loses one of its sons to an accident, only to have his ex-girlfriend show up five years later, claiming she’s pregnant with his baby, is at 83%.
• The Blonde One (2019) 91% , a romantic drama about two men who become roommates and discover a mutual attraction, is at 80%.
• Blink of an Eye (2019) 75% , a documentary about the friendship between NASCAR racers Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., is at 67%.
• Satanic Panic (2019) 63% , a horror-comedy about a pizza delivery driver who unwittingly makes a house call to a satanic cult looking for a young woman to sacrifice, is at 65%.
• Edie (2017) 63% , about a woman who decides to embark on a mountain climbing adventure after her controlling husband passes away, is at 65%.
• Becoming Nobody (2019) 62% , a documentary about the life and teachings of Harvard psychologist-turned-spiritual leader Ram Dass, is at 57%.
• Nomis (2018) 14% , starring Henry Cavill and Ben Kingsley in an action thriller about a police officer and a vigilante who are on the trail of murderer, is at 8%.

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