Top 10 Scariest Scenes From IT

No matter how scary some of It’s forms may be, there’s nothing more terrifying than the Deadlights. The Deadlights are It’s true, unimaginable form, and simply gazing upon them is enough to make a person go insane. The Deadlights are creepy and all, but what really makes this scene so terrifying is Pennywise’s face. We watch in heightened anticipation and utter disgust as his eyes roll into the back of his head, and his face opens up to reveal an endless maw of sharp teeth and the creepy sounds of people screaming. It’s enough to send Bev into a catatonic state, and it’s enough for us to declare this movie a terrifying piece of work.

Sometimes the scariest scenes are ones more grounded in reality. Sure, monsters are scary, but there’s something innately unsettling about an insane child murdering his father with a switchblade. The scene ratchets up the tension by showing us the balloon tied to the mailbox, the switchblade, and Henry’s utterly depraved expression. We’re then treated to the troubling sight of a TV presenter and a chorus of children urging Henry to kill his father as he sticks the switchblade in his neck. The combination of the dream-like images on the TV screen and the unsettlingly realism is enough to make this scene one of the film’s most memorable.

Like Henry murdering his father, this incident is based on a more realistic concept, and it is all the more distressing for it. The scene begins relatively tamely, with a blackened hand mysteriously emerging from behind the locked door. Creepy, yes, but nothing too nightmare-inducing. But then the real nightmare begins, as more hands emerge while screams can be heard and flames can be seen from behind the door. The entire concept of burning alive is enough to send anyone into fits of anxiety; and the sight and sounds of helpless people burning to death churns one’s stomach like no fictional monster ever could.

We all had that one painting or figurine growing up. You know, the one that your parents had to stow away in the attic, or the one where you had to cover your face or close your eyes as you were walking past it. That relatable childhood experience is exploited here, when Stan is forced to confront his fears of the unsettling flute-playing… thing (seriously, who would even have this in their study?) Sure, the scene is a little clichéd – creaky door, something lurking in the shadows behind a character – but damn if it isn’t done in an effective way. And then it returns and eats Stan’s face, and we all wet our pants.

The library scene is undoubtedly one of the movie’s best (who can forget the images of the creepy librarian staring at Ben, or the decapitated head in the tree?), and it ends on a spectacular note, with a headless body chasing Ben through the basement. The scene begins with the ominous image of a man descending the stairs. The filmmakers then use some expert framing, surprising us with the fact that the man is headless, complete with screeching musical accompaniment. It’s all then capped with a perfect jump scare when Pennywise rushes at Ben. Something for everyone!

We’ll take “rooms we would never want to be stuck in” for 200, Alex. This intensely creepy room full of clown dolls preys on a not-uncommon fear – yep. the fear of clowns. There are numerous ones in this room, and they all stare directly at Richie, and, through Richie’s point of view, the audience. The scene is taut with anticipation and tension, as we expect one of the dolls to attack Richie, or for Pennywise to jump out from his hiding place. However, the scene nicely subverts our expectations by revealing a disgusting Richie corpse doll, and saving the jump scare for the end.

Well, this is one image we’re never getting out of our heads. To seemingly mock Eddie’s broken arm, Pennywise slowly emerges from a dark and dilapidated fridge… only, his body is completely contorted, forcing him to crawl out on his hands before completely reconfiguring his body to stand upright. The scene starts tamely enough – a spooky clown hand emerges from the fridge. Yawn. But then we see the unpredictable and frightening image of Pennywise’ upside-down, contorted body, and we can suddenly relate to Beverly’s catatonia. The sound effects of Pennywise’s shifting bones and the accompanying creepy music certainly don’t help. That’s one way to make an entrance.

Chalk this one up as one of the movie’s scariest original scenes. We all saw this scene in the trailer – Georgie mockingly taunts Bill with a creepy incantation of “you’ll float too” before Pennywise erratically charges at Bill. But the movie adds an unexpected twist when Georgie’s face begins to decompose, and his voice grows more demonic. Nasty. We also get to witness the mortifying visual of Pennywise mouthing the words and using Georgie as a little corpse puppet. Not too many movies contain child corpse puppets, so, uh, props to “It” there, we guess. To end the scene, Pennywise slithers away like a snake, because why not?

As original as the Georgie Puppet is, we have to give the most original award to the projector scene – it’s new, it’s scary, and it’s unexpected. The scares begin with the slightly unsettling image of the projector moving on its own, and showing increasingly sinister pictures of Pennywise. Freaky, but nothing too bad, right? The true terror kicks in once the projector is knocked over. We wait in unbearable anticipation as the slides change and send us into darkness before a giant Pennywise emerges from the wall and chases the heroes. A creepy projector is fun, harmless horror. An unexpected, giant Pennywise is soul-searingly terrifying.







Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.



Bev is Attacked by Her Father





The Leper





Patrick’s Death

This was scary in 1986. And it was scary in 1990. And it’s extra-scary in 2017. This is a masterful sequence, and it starts the movie in gruesome fashion, which is just how we like “It.” The sight of Pennywise in the darkened sewer is unsettling, but paralysing fear sets in once he attacks Georgie. We witness the attack in graphic detail, and it is overwhelmingly, monstrously horrifying. The sight of a child missing an arm and screaming in pain is a sight as disturbing as pretty much anything can be on film, ensuring that this movie starts with a warning – if you can’t handle this content matter, turn back now.