As a fan of anything to do with Stephen King’s IT, I went into theaters excited to be throwing my popcorn out of fear. Even though I was very critical coming into the second part, I was proud of the outcome.

The story continues with the losers’ club growing up and picks up 27 years later. The losers are successful adults who deal with their problems and life in general. For example, Beverly is in an abusive marriage which is reminiscent of how her dad abused her in her childhood. The only person who stayed in Derry, Maine is Mike, who has issues moving on from the past and is now obsessed with learning how to destroy Pennywise.

When the random and brutal killings start again, not to mention the littering of red balloons, Mike enlists the help of the losers and calls them back to finally kill the clown.

Throughout the movie, the plot is a mix of the original book and director Andy Muschietti’s own interpretation of how the movie goes. Muschietti, who also directed the first chapter, changed many things about the first 2017 IT. So, it was natural for fans to come in with a sense of what would happen and others to come in blind and have no idea what they were in store for.

This continuation definitely ups the gruesomeness and goriness when it comes to the fear factor. While IT 2017 was scary with lots of laughs, Chapter Two makes sure that the audience knows they are watching a horror movie.

The movie is worth a watch for the visuals and laughs in theaters. However, it is possible that people who are not familiar with the King lore and backstory may be lost in some key scenes. Chapter Two addresses many fan outcries and ambitiously tackles many plot devices and character changes.

I would recommend IMAX to capture the true essence of the movie since many of the scares are visually based. Although the CGI can be gimmicky at times, it stays in the lines of cheesy horror movie to be admired.

IT Chapter Two is a great horror movie to continue the new spin on Muschietti’s vision while keeping the spirit of King. Go in with lots of snacks and sip with caution for the three-hour movie and afterward, be sure to look under the bed in case of floating clowns.