It
Stephen King is continuing to experience something of a renaissance with adaptations of his books.
Among the most notable of those adaptations in the past few years is both chapters ofIt.
Audiences may have gravitated more towardsChapter One, butChapter Twowasn’t entirely without redeeming qualities.
Here are some things thatChapter Onemanaged better thanChapter Twoand vice versa.
Some minor spoilers lie ahead.
InChapter Two, a lot of the mystique his performance carried seemed to be lost.
Pennywise was scary in Chapter 2, but not genuinely terrifying like he was inChapter One.
The deaths ofIt: Chapter Twocarry a lot more weight.
Our concern isn’t just with the Losers' club, it’s with all of Derry.
Chapter Oneends with the temporary defeat of Pennywise and the hope of better days ahead.
Chapter One: Better Pacing
There is no perfect length for a movie.
Some movies aren’t long enough at 120 minutes, and some are too long at 90.
That being said,Chapter Oneis more tightly wound at 135 minutes thanChapter Twoat 170 minutes.
ButChapter Onemaintains momentum more consistently thanChapter Two.
But as an ensemble, the kids inChapter Onejust mesh better together.
Most of them have grown up together and they feel completely comfortable around each other.
Chapter Twoseems less concerned about making bigger scares and more concerned with meaningful horror.
Is there anything more horrific than dealing with real trauma, after all?
Maybe ifChapter Oneis remade in 20 years we’ll see it differently?
Chapter Twodoesn’t have a go at leave the door open for another film at all.
The door is firmly closed on The Losers' story.
They may never see each other again, but at last, they’ve experienced catharsis.
NEXT:IT: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Stephen King’s Original Masterpiece
