This movie is made for people who have seen IT (2017), but makes sure those who haven’t won’t be completely lost either. Where the first movie explored the horrors of childhood, this one explores the horrors of returning to your hometown and does a pretty good job of it. It’s all jump scares and body horror, like the last one, with enough gruesome spectacle that something on screen will disturb pretty much anyone at some point. But it falls short of the previous entry in several key places. First, when kids freeze when they should be running or make bad decisions like splitting the party it’s understandable, because they’re kids, but when adults do it it’s profoundly less believable. Second, there’s a lot of contrivance around reliving the past, seemingly just to be able to reference the previous movie. And third, there are multiple places where the movie stops to give pro-gay messages and it really throws off the balance of the pacing and engagement.
Content warning: body horror, gore, child murder
Closest comparison: It does to IT (2017) what The Temple of Doom does to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Setting: Sci-Fi Horror
Plot: Horror Sequel
Tone: Mostly Body Horror