Weekend Movie Review: 'It Chapter Two' And 'Strange But True'

This weekend, the highly anticipated horror-thriller "IT Chapter Two" hits the big screen, starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, James Ransone, Jay Rayn, Andy Bean and Isaiah Mustafa as members of the Losers Club, a group of childhood friends who have made a life-long pact to purge the demonic clown, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård).

Also making its theatrical debut is the drama-thriller "Strange But True," in which Nick Robinson, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear and Margaret Qualley star as four lost souls trying to cope with the death of a loved one — and a mysterious pregnancy.

Here's what to see and what to skip this weekend:

Movies Out This Weekend

“It Chapter Two” — Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Skarsgard; directed by Andy Muschietti

Remember the Losers Club from the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King’s “It”? Well, all seven Losers are back for the sequel, only this time around, they’re now all grown-up adults — fashion designer Beverly (Jessica Chastain); novelist Bill (James McAvoy); standup comedian Richie (Bill Hader); limo driver Eddie (James Ransone); architect Ben (Jay Ryan); the long-lost soul Stanley (Andy Bean); and librarian Mike (Isaiah Mustafa).

Picking up nearly three decades after they escaped the evil hands of the demonic entity, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), the new film finds the seven Losers all back in Derry, Maine, after Mike reminds his friends about the pact they made in 1989.

You guessed it right! Pennywise is back in their old hometown reigning terror once again. How can the Losers send ‘It’ to oblivion once and for all? They all have to find totems from their youth.

And so begins the saga of discoveries and surprises!

See it. While it’s not as great as the first chapter, the sequel still manages to deliver edge-of-your-seat scares with a perfectly cast ensemble. Beware: The movie is three hours long.

Watch the trailer:

“Strange But True” — Nick Robinson, Margaret Qualley; directed by Rowan Athale

Based on John Searles’s novel, Rowan Athale’s atmospheric thriller is a tale about a grief-stricken family trying to unravel a mysterious pregnancy.

The film opens with a feverish chase sequence set in a dense forest where Philip (Nick Robinson), a young man with a broken leg, is being pursued by an unseen assailant. Then, the narrative flashes back to two days earlier in a suburb where Philip and his mom, Charlene (Amy Ryan), are only moments away from an unfounded claim.

Five years after the tragic death of Charlene's son Ronnie (Connor Jessup), Melissa (Margaret Qualley), Ronnie's high school sweetheart, suddenly shows up unannounced at their doorstep telling Philip and Charlene that she is nine months pregnant with Ronnie’s child.

Shocked beyond disbelief, Charlene dismisses Melissa as mentally unstable, asking Philip to send her away. However, it soon becomes apparent that Charlene and her son are intrigued enough to solve the puzzle. How does Philip’s dad (Greg Kinnear), a surgeon, feel all about it? Is Melissa’s immaculate conception really strange but true?

See it. The exceptional performances in “Strange But True” keep it spellbinding, though the movie’s slow-burn pace will test your patience at times.

Watch the trailer:

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