A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
a little
Though it takes a while to get everyone convinced and on board with what has to be done, it turns out that teamwork is essential for the characters to survive. Only when they stick together do they have the power to face the clown's attacks.
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Positive Role Models
very little
Though the characters are generally lovable and tend to show bravery when the moment truly counts, they're also deeply flawed, rather messed-up adults, and not exactly role models.
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Scary clown attacks, biting and chomping children with huge, oversized teeth. Many scary creatures attacking. Lots of blood. In a hate crime, bullies beat and kick a gay character, smashing his face (lots of blood) and throwing him over a bridge. An abusive husband slaps/punches his wife, hits her with belt; she hits back, smashing his head with a blunt object. Character dies via suicide; shown in bathtub with bloody wrists. Characters stabbed in the face and the chest. Decomposed bodies. Extracted and squished heart. Flashback to abusive father. A character uses a gun to "shoot" a younger version of himself in a scary fantasy sequence.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
Both opposite- and same-sex kissing; a woman kisses two men, the first after a mistaken assumption. Brief sex-related talk. Non-sexual nudity includes a man's back and butt as he gets into a bath and a giant, naked CGI woman attacking a character.
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Language
a lot
Very strong, frequent language, with many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus "motherf----r," "a--hole," "p---y," "bitch," "hell," "d--k," "f--got," "prick," "vagin*," "beaver," "you suck," "goddamn," "oh my God," and "Jesus Christ" (as exclamations).
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Products & Purchases
very little
Mention of Facebook; Ford Mustang and Chevy Tahoe are featured.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Adult characters drink together socially; mild drunkenness. Cigarette smoking, including by a teen. Mention of characters being crackheads. Drug trip sequence in which a character is given hallucinogenic root and has a "vision."
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that It Chapter Two is the follow-up to the hugely successful It (2017); both films are based on Stephen King's novel. This one -- which is more centered on adults than kids -- is very long and less scary than the first, but it's definitely entertaining, with great characters and true teamwork. Violence/horror is very strong, with a shocking hate crime (bullies beat up a gay couple), a man abusing his wife (she hits back), and a character dying via suicide, as well as large amounts of blood and terrifying monster attacks. Children are skewered by oversized teeth, characters are stabbed with knives, and a gun is used in a scary fantasy scene. Language is also heavy, with multiple uses of "f--k," "s--t," and more. Characters kiss, and there's some sex-related talk. Adult characters drink socially, and smoking (including by a teen) is shown. A brief "drug trip" sequence involves a hallucinogenic root. Bill Skarsgård returns as Pennywise; Isaiah Mustafa, James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader co-star. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
Twenty-seven years have passed since the events of It, and there's evidence of Pennywise's return. So in IT CHAPTER TWO, Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), who has stayed in Derry, Maine, calls his old friends to make good on their pact. Five of them -- Bill (James McAvoy), Bev (Jessica Chastain), Richie (Bill Hader), Eddie (James Ransone), and Ben (Jay Ryan) -- show up, though they don't remember much of what happened back in 1989 and aren't thrilled to discover that they're meant to risk their lives again. Mike tells them that they must find "tokens" from that summer, important objects to be used in a ritual to send Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) away forever. As memories come flooding back, and as the evil clown's attacks become fiercer, it begins to look as if they might not make it -- unless they can stick together.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about It Chapter Two's violence. Which scenes were shocking, and which were entertaining? What was the difference? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Is the movie scary? How does it compare to the first one in that respect? What's the appeal of scary movies?
How does teamwork help the characters to survive? How do they learn about the benefits of teamwork?
How does this movie compare to the book? To the miniseries?
What makes friends sometimes drift apart from each other as they grow up? Has that ever happened to you?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 6, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: December 10, 2019
- Cast: James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Skarsgård, Bill Hader
- Director: Andres Muschietti
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: New Line Cinema
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Book Characters, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 169 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: disturbing content and bloody images throughout, pervasive language, some crude sexual material
- Last updated: December 6, 2023
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