It: Chapter One includes many scenes that could give viewers nightmares, but one of the most horrifying moments is especially impactful because the movie never fully explains it. Stephen King is one of the most prolific horror authors of the past century, and few of his stories have received as much love as the 1986 book It. The story was first adapted for the big screen in a 1990 miniseries, starring Tim Curry as Pennywise. The story wouldn’t be touched for another 27 years, which is roughly the amount of time that the shapeshifting alien goes to sleep between attacks.
In 2017, filmmaker Andy Muschietti released the first part of his adaptation, starring Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. I didn’t expect to love anything as much as the miniseries, but It: Chapter One became one of my favorite movies of all time. Since seeing it in the theaters, I’ve watched the movie many times, and one moment sticks with me every single time – Georgie Denbrough’s death. The iconic scene includes one detail that is never overtly explained in the first film, but it adds to the terror nonetheless.
A Woman Watches Pennywise Kill Georgie Without Any Reaction
It: Chapter One Doesn’t Show The Woman Reacting To Georgie’s Death
The success of the first It movie hinged on the creative team perfectly executing the introduction of Pennywise, the clown persona of It, aka the ᴅᴇᴀᴅlights or the “Eater of Worlds.” The moment where he meets Georgie really sets the tone for the character and the rest of the film. If they’d done a perfunctory job, the audience wouldn’t have bought into the rest of the story. Ultimately, they succeeded at making it one of the scariest scenes of the first It movie because of one small detail that the movie never fully explains.
The subtle apathy of adults in Derry, Maine might never be addressed onscreen, but it’s part of what makes It: Chapter One so brilliant.
While Georgie and Pennywise talk, a woman walks out to her porch and looks over at them. She’s never shown walking back inside the house, so she presumably saw the entire thing. Yet, she doesn’t react when he screams or crawls across the street with one arm missing. Even if she happened to be looking away during the entire murder, the woman doesn’t seem scared by the pool of blood. Her cat reacts to the situation more than she does. The scene would’ve been frightening even without the witness, but her lack of response makes it downright terrifying.
The It: Chapter One Scene Hints That Pennywise Is Controlling The Adults In Derry Too
Pennywise Is Powerful Enough To Manipulate The Entire Town
It: Chapter One never overtly explains the woman on the porch, but the scene is the first hint that the shapeshifting alien is more powerful than he seems. The Stephen King book confirms that It has psychic control over the entire town of Derry, including the adults. The woman watching Georgie Denbrough get killed is just the first sign of this throughout the movie adaptations.
In a later scene, an old couple driving by in a car has zero concern about the Bowers gang attacking Ben on the bridge. A red balloon is shown in their backseat. Similarly, the missing posters are just stapled on top of each other, showing zero reaction to the fact that so many kids have disappeared. Ultimately, the subtle apathy of adults in Derry, Maine might never be addressed onscreen, but it’s part of what makes It: Chapter One so brilliant. Because It can make the adults turn a blind eye to the violence, the Losers Club really is Pennywise’s kryptonite. They’re the only ones who care enough about what he’s doing to take action against him.
