On August 26, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2017 “It” movie, based on the Stephen King novel, miniseries, and movies, was released. This movie brings back a lot of the spooky elements of the original frightening story of a shapeshifting demon, manifesting itself mainly in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and its terror on the children of Derry. The modern adaptations of “It” (2017) and “It: Chapter 2” directed by Andrés Muschietti serve to awaken the inner teenager of now 40 and 50-year-olds, who were teenagers when the original book was published in 1986.

Before analyzing the impact of this movie, it is important to critique the movie itself. This movie has the basic purpose of being a horror film. The gore of bloody children, the jumpscares of Pennywise in a sewer, and an old lady running naked across the screen were all attempts to put fear in the weak of heart. However, many people can agree that it was not as scary as the first. 

Hollywood Reporter critic writes “The series grows monotonous and fails to generate an escalating dread,” due to its episodic manner. However, it was enjoyable to see the Losers Club reunite in an enjoyable and visual packed movie. It is a sensory trip that is quite memorable and expected from any Stephen King by-product. It lived up to its purpose of being creepy and inconceivable. 

Next, it’s integrity to the original story: Many people argue that some topics of this movie did not age well. It is clear that there are many topics on which public opinion has changed since the 1980s and 1990s. Some jokes from this movie stemmed from homophobia and fat-shaming is much more scrutinized in today’s society. There is also the use of Native American legends, which dramatize and stereotype Native culture. Beverly’s abuse is also slightly distasteful. 

“Domestic violence Beverly is once more grappling with feels more exploitative this time around than in the original. Why show her husband’s abusive behavior if she’s not going to confront it later? Without her perspective, there’s no sense that it’s done in pursuit of some larger catharsis.”, says Anne Cohen in her review on Refinery29. Some topics are now a bit more sensitive in our modern political climate.

Finally, it’s influence and effect on its audience. Whether or not the movie is exactly true to its predecessors, this movie definitely speaks to many of its viewers. It has an overall message of childhood friends, bonded through hardship and a scary secret, getting together to defeat an evil from their past. It’s appealing to those original Stephen King fanatics that grew up with his works because they’re closer to the age of the grown-up Loser’s Club. It shows that their childhood is still alive and they can still fight the problems of adulthood no matter their past experiences. Through a story with a strong motif of companionship and teamwork to defend what is right and rid the world of what is wrong, despite each group member struggling with problems of their own. 

This movie is also very engaging for teenagers, like those of CVHS, as it is a captively shot movie that encompassed the power of friendship, which is something that applies to all of us. It provides an entertaining story with killer visuals that teaches us an overall message. The visuals were breathtaking and had me on the edge of my seat, but the acting left something to be desired. The actors lacked the element of surprise, I shouldn’t be able to predict their every action or reaction before they have them.

In conclusion, this reporter gives this movie a thumbs up for impact. My rating is three out of five stars. I’m sorry, it just wasn’t as scary as the first one, and was way too long.