Derry’s Darkness: Revisiting the World of It
The release of It in 2017 was bound to attract attention. Stephen King’s works had become a staple of the horror culture, starting with the miniseries of King’s novel in 1990. Andy Muschietti’s horror adaptation, however, promised to be much more than a miniseries. It was a modern, visceral horror film, something that would motivate the viewers to examine, theorize, and discuss the film in great detail. It was much more than a film about a clown; it was a psychological horror that examined the peculiarities of Derry and the crimes of Pennywise.
The Story that Haunted a Generation
At a basic level, the plot is simple. During the summer of 1989, a group of misfit children, the self-styled “Losers’ Club,” confront a shape-shifting, evil entity. Most notably, the entity manifests as Pennywise the Dancing Clown and terrorizes the children of Derry. The children, however, manage to confront their deepest fears and the evil that has haunted Derry for decades.
Each character of the Losers’ Club is defined by their trauma: Bill’s brother Georgie is one of Pennywise’s earliest victims, Beverly contends with abuse at home, Ben struggles with bullying, and Richie masks his fear with humor. The combination of friendship and adventure with horror creates a tension-filled narrative that is, in equal measure, nostalgic and frightening.
While the original novel is a masterpiece, this adaptation is unique in its focus on the innocence of childhood friendship and the unabashed, savage horror of Pennywise’s physical form. With the opening scene of Georgie’s paper boat and the unforgettable scene at the Neibolt Street house, Muschietti creates terror that feels immediate and is deeply rooted in character-driven emotion.
Theories that Went Unresolved
In the aftermath of the film’s release, the conversations surrounding it only expanded as alternate endings inspired by fan fiction proliferated online. These theories gained traction due to certain loose ends in the film’s story, where Muschietti’s multiple ambiguous comments in interviews only added to the intrigue. Some fans suggested a reading of the film where instead of Derry’s ancient evil, the town itself, as it is constituted, serves as a font of evil that feeds on the town with each cycle of trauma the town ignores or refuses to confront, thereby exercising influence on the whole issue of generational complicity.
There were also speculations regarding Bill Skarsgård’s performance, particularly his timing of blinking and the rapid eye movements that would signal, in the fan’s reading of the performance, a certain control, or manipulation, of the time stream. Muschietti neither confirmed nor rejected it, allowing it to remain a part of the audience’s speculation without diminishing engagement.
Reddit threads, YouTube breakdowns, and debates on Twitter were informal, yet the speculations on each line of dialogue, each flickering image in the background, were thorough and detailed for a film.
Behind the Camera: Fear of the Unseen
Skarsgård’s performance as Pennywise is said to have achieved multiple benchmarks and to have set a number of standards. To idealize the performance, Skarsgård researched children’s movements and their body language to ‘play’ in a fashion that renders Pennywise in the prescribed predatory fashion, as the character shifts between moments of playfulness and threatening. In the interviews, he discussed the preparation it took to even pretend to sustain an disturbing energy in scenes, that were for the viewer, quite mundane.
The accounts of those present on set speak of an extraordinary attention to detail. Muschietti insisted on shooting scenes in the sewer under extreme low-light conditions, which threw the young actors into a state of high anxiety—an outcome, which, in many cases, produced real terror responses. Jaeden Martell, who played Bill Denbrough, admitted to the intensity of the shooting conditions and reported that he dreamed of the film’s scenes long after the day’s shooting, which speaks volumes to the overall intensity of the set’s atmosphere.
Muschietti’s collaboration with cinematographer Checco Varese allowed for the artistry involved in the integration of psychological horror that is revealed in the use of various techniques. Fans of the film often do not realize the ways in which the shadows cast during scenes with the Losers’ Club meetings foreshadow Pennywise’s appearances, or the reflections that mirror the motifs of duality and innocence contrasted with the emerging darkness.
Insights and Altered Endings
Several endings were shot and tested during production, and one included a much more elaborate sequence where the character Pennywise’s defeat relied more on psychological rather than physical means, thus demonstrating the power of collective belief and memory. Muschietti eventually went with the cut that more physically emphasized action, and in conversations that he held with the public, he hinted that the more psychological cut is intact and will serve as a basis for a future exploration of the story.
Speculation on Easter eggs alluding to other works by King continue to multiply. Several objects, graffiti, and even background names seemed to connect Derry to other King universes. Muschietti commented on these “mysteries” in a rather lighthearted way, noting that some links were indeed intentional while others remain opaque, bolstering the mythology which makes King’s fans obsessed.
The child actors who formed the ‘Losers’ Club’ initial circle experienced a degree of sudden fame and the accompanying scrutiny that the public directs on its ‘budding celebrities. Sophia Lillis, who played Beverly Marsh, cited the emotional imprint of portraying a character who deals with abuse and the importance of therapy in alleviating the burden. Her experience underscores the degree of immersion in horror that has to be undertaken for prolonged periods. ‘Richie Tozier’ Finn Wolfhard, in that regard, had the other advantages of Muschietti’s improvised style of direction. Jaeden Martell described the impact of working with Skarsgård and the ensemble in developing collaborative storytelling which has deeply influenced the roles he has taken since.
For Bill Skarsgård, Pennywise became a defining role, but he contended that it was a more exhausting role than it was rewarding. Spending hours in prosthetics, executing physically demanding scenes, and embodying that sinister persona in between takes was grueling. Despite this, the performances he gave solidified his status as one of the most recognizable faces in modern horror.
Audience members did not simply watch the movie, they went a step further and tried to figure it out. Why was the paper boat able to float so far downstream? What was the artwork in the Losers’ Club clubhouse meant to convey? Was Pennywise a representation of some sort of intergenerational trauma that was particular to Derry? Some people argued that the film had psychological elements and was a coming-of-age story in which the monster was adolescence disguised as horror and accompanied by social apathy.
These people argued about the movie because they seemed to enjoy it so much. He often participated in fan conversations and debate on social media. He seemed to enjoy these conversations and encouraged people to submit artwork and fan-fiction to him. These connections to the community are not something that is often seen in the film and horror community. These contributed to the film’s place in modern culture.
Hidden Layers in Production
Despite the scares, the production had its own interesting stories. The sewer set in Montreal was supposed to be both claustrophobic and labyrinthine. This created real stress which translated into real performances. The design team included subtle horror details such as dripping water and echoing sounds which actors could respond to, and which increased realism.
Even small props were important. A red balloon, for example, was put just outside the frame before the rehearsal and tested the actors’ peripheral responses, which were captured in the final edits. The small improv, such as Richie’s one-liners or Eddie’s panicked movements, were kept because organic fear was much more interesting to Muschietti than sticking to the script’s rigid structure.
Lastly, It is not remembered simply for Pennywise’s haunting grin or the blood-filled bathtub scene. It is remembered for the layers, the discussions, and the imagination. From the bonds formed on set, to the fan theories and alternate endings, and the hidden gems in the production, the film is more than just a horror story. It is a shared puzzle. A world where fear, childhood, and conjecture come together in one beautiful terrifying tapestry.
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