17 Freaky Hidden Details You Probably Missed While Watching "It"

Uh, BRB. Still shuddering.

It’s been a month since It, the horror movie based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel, came out in theaters. TBQH, it’s still scaring the bejeezies out of us, especially now that we’ve had time to notice a few details that we originally missed. WARNING: Spoilers and also — ugh — clowns ahead.

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1. For starters, in the scene where Ben and the kids are outside the drugstore, there's a SUPER CASUAL mural with Pennywise shown in it.

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This is in the alley between the drugstore and the butcher shop.

2. On the same wall, you can also see a newspaper with a headline about "The Bradley Gang," which is a direct reference to the book.

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In the novel, the Bradley Gang was a group of outlaws who terrorized the town in the early 1900s and were gunned down by Derry residents, including, possibly, Pennywise.

3. When we first meet Beverly, there is a graffiti on the bathroom stall that says "Hate Clown."

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Someone also wrote, "Greta Keene is a bitch" in black ink — and while Bev is holding a black marker, it's unclear which message she wrote.

4. Bill's "Tracker Brothers" shirt is another reference to the novel.

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In the book, the Tracker Brothers is a trucking depot with an old baseball field behind it where the local kids would play. This is where Eddie, a member of the Losers' Club, meets Pennywise for the first time in 27 years.

5. The mummy that's attacking Ben toward the end of the movie could be a tribute to the Universal Monsters.

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"Universal Monsters" refers to the franchise of "classic" monster movies, like Dracula and Frankenstein, that were pioneered by Universal Studios in films between the 1920s and 1950s.

6. And this close-up of Pennywise's hand could also be a reference to the Werewolf.

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The Werewolf is another Universal Monster, and also one of Richie's fears.

7. The painting that freaks out Stanley is inspired by an actual work of art by the Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani.

Warner Bros. Pictures, Amedeo Modigliani / Via modigliani.org

In the movie, the woman in the painting is named Judith and is one of several forms adopted by "It." In an interview, director Andy Muschietti revealed that the painting was a "literal translation of a very personal fear" — namely, a creepy af print of a Modigliani painting that hung in his childhood home.

8. Stanley's last encounter with "It" is the most intense — and probably foreshadows the movie's sequel.

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Out of everyone in the Losers' Club, Stanley is the one who has the closest encounter with "It" (in the form of Judith, the woman in the painting). This encounter goes on to influence his adult life, as described in the book, and it will probably be a focal point in the film's sequel.

9. Pennywise's costume includes historic touches to emphasize how long he's been around.

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Extra nope factor brought to you by the actual Victorian era.

10. There are several turtle references made, such as when Bill finds a toy turtle in Georgie's room.

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In Stephen King's mythology, Pennywise's nemesis is Maturin, a prehistoric turtle from the same dark dimension as him. The animal is considered to be Pennywise's natural enemy.

Another turtle reference comes up when the kids are swimming in the lake, and one of the kids feels a turtle touch their feet.

11. Richie is seen wearing a shirt from Freese's — a department store where, in the book, his character hides from school bullies.

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Freese's was an actual store that existed in Maine, and in the novel, there's a fictional franchise in Derry.

12. While Ben is reading, an out-of-focus shot shows the librarian coming up behind him super creepily.

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Maybe you noticed her. She's likely "It" in yet another form.

13. This shirt worn by Eddie may be paying homage to Christine, another Stephen King novel.

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Christine tells the story of a car that has a life of its own.

14. In the scene where Richie is walking into a room full of clowns, you can see the original Pennywise.

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Assuming you can stomach a closer look, you can see a clown on the left that looks just like the "It" played by Tim Curry in the 1990 miniseries.

15. The leper that comes up to Eddie is played by a talented Spanish actor named Javier Botet.

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Botet was born with Marfan syndrome, which is responsible for his tall, thin build and super-long fingers. You might recognize him from a few of his other roles, like Tristana Medeiros in REC, the ghost in Crimson Peaks, and the Crooked Man in The Conjuring 2.

16. Seconds before Pennywise attacks Patrick Hockstetter, we see an "I ❤ Derry" balloon, linking his death with another character's from the novel.

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In the book, Adrian Mellon is a gay character who is pursued and harassed by a group of homophobic teens for wearing a "I ❤ Derry" hat. He's thrown off a bridge where Pennywise finds him and drags him away. The scene that precedes Patrick's death, paired with the "I ❤ Derry" balloon, mirrors Adrian's death closely.

17. The names on some of the missing children signs are the names of actual production team members of the film.

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Tania McGowan is one of the missing girls, but she's also an art direction assistant in the movie. So are Jonathan Chan and Paul Greenberg.

This post was translated from Spanish.