‘It’ Theories, Meaning, Explanation, and Themes

There’s a new It TV show now. When I saw it advertised, I realized I had failed to write about the 2017 It remake.

So, I committed to rewatching it and writing about it here. With that, here’s my analysis of It.

Screenshot from “It”  trailer.

Top Theories About the Meaning and Themes of ‘It’ (2017)

1. Childhood Trauma and the Loss of Innocence

Theory: Pennywise represents the embodiment of childhood fears and traumas, which devour innocence as children transition into adulthood. The clown lures children in with playful appearances, only to destroy them — much like the way real-life trauma or abuse hides beneath seemingly normal surfaces.

• Why It Fits:
  • Each child’s encounter with Pennywise ties directly to a personal trauma (abuse, bullying, parental neglect). Their ability to defeat him comes not from strength, but from facing these buried fears together.
• Key Moments:
  • Beverly’s bloody sink vision that only children can see → symbolic of abuse adults ignore.
  • Bill facing the “phantom Georgie” → symbolizes the pain of unresolved grief.
  • The blood oath → their acknowledgement that trauma isn’t fully gone, just delayed.

2. The Rot Beneath Small-Town America

Theory: Derry itself is infected, and Pennywise is simply the manifestation of the town’s collective corruption and willful ignorance. Adults don’t notice or ignore the horrors because they are complicit in maintaining a surface-level image of normalcy.

• Why It Fits:
  • Derry looks idyllic on the surface, but beneath it lies systemic abuse, racism, and cycles of violence. Pennywise thrives precisely because the adults refuse to confront the evil in their midst, leaving children to face it alone.
• Key Moments:
  • The adults ignoring Beverly’s sink blood and dismissing her pleas.
  • Mike’s backstory of his parents’ death in a racially motivated fire.
  • The endless cycle: every 27 years, tragedies are brushed aside as accidents.

3. Pennywise as the Cycle of Abuse

Theory: Pennywise represents generational abuse — trauma passed down, resurfacing every 27 years to claim new victims. Each Loser struggles with abusive figures (Beverly’s father, Henry’s father, Eddie’s mother), and Pennywise manipulates those vulnerabilities to control them.

• Why It Fits:
  • The monster doesn’t just attack physically; he exploits psychological wounds. The pattern of It awakening every 27 years mirrors how abuse tends to repeat in cycles unless confronted.
• Key Moments:
  • Beverly’s direct confrontation with her father before facing Pennywise.
  • Henry Bowers, abused by his father, becoming abusive himself.
  • Pennywise offering to “spare the others if they give him Bill” → abusers use bargaining and control tactics.

4. The Power of Friendship and Collective Courage

Theory: Pennywise is unbeatable by individuals, but collapses when confronted by unified bravery. The Losers’ Club represents the strength of community — the idea that facing fear together breaks its power.

• Why It Fits:
  • Alone, each child falters, but together they succeed because they validate and protect each other’s experiences. Pennywise feeds on isolation and silence; unity starves him.
• Key Moments:
  • The group overcoming their individual fears in the house on Neibolt Street.
  • Beverly, catatonic from the Deadlights, revived by Ben’s kiss — literalizing the restorative power of love and friendship.
  • Their blood oath → a promise that solidarity will endure, even into adulthood.

5. Coming-of-Age and Sexual Awakening

Theory: Pennywise’s attacks parallel the anxieties of puberty and growing up. The children’s fears often connect to bodily changes, sexuality, and identity struggles. Defeating Pennywise is symbolic of crossing the threshold into adolescence.

• Why It Fits:
  •  Beverly is accused of promiscuity and menaced by her father’s inappropriate control, yet she also becomes the romantic center of the group. Eddie’s leper symbolizes fear of disease and contamination. The children’s victory symbolizes moving beyond the helplessness of childhood.
• Key Moments:
  • Beverly’s sink erupting with blood → menstruation imagery and fears of female sexuality.
  • Eddie’s fear of sickness → symbolic of parental overprotection and the stigma around growing bodies.
  • The kiss that revives Beverly → both a fairy-tale trope and a signal of entering a new emotional stage.

Key Themes in ‘It’

The Fragility of Memory

The film suggests that childhood memories are fleeting and easily distorted, yet they shape identity. The Losers remember the blood oath and their battles with Pennywise, but as they grow older, those memories will fade — hinting at how trauma, once buried, can slip from conscious thought even while continuing to affect behavior.

The Indifference of Authority

Adults in Derry are largely absent or willfully blind to the suffering around them. Teachers, parents, and townsfolk ignore signs of abuse, death, and supernatural evil. This neglect underscores the vulnerability of children and their need to protect themselves in a world that should care for them but doesn’t.

The Seduction of Fear

Pennywise doesn’t just terrify — he tempts. He lures children with promises of fun, safety, or the illusion of familiarity before revealing his monstrous side. This theme highlights how fear often disguises itself as something enticing, making it harder to resist.

The Persistence of Evil

The 27-year cycle of Pennywise’s return mirrors the inevitability of corruption resurfacing. Evil is never permanently vanquished; it only retreats, waiting for the right conditions to rise again. This suggests that societies must remain vigilant rather than assuming dangers are gone forever.

Identity and Belonging

Each member of the Losers’ Club feels like an outsider — because of class, gender, race, body size, or family dynamics. Yet in coming together, they find belonging and strength. The theme emphasizes the human need to form bonds outside traditional structures when those structures fail to provide acceptance.

Plot Summary

• Year Released: 2017
• Director: Andy Muschietti
• Writer: Chase Palmer, Cary Joji Fukunaga & Gary Dauberman

In the late 1980s, children in the small town of Derry, Maine, begin disappearing. A group of misfit kids — the self-named Losers’ Club — discover that the culprit is Pennywise, a shapeshifting clown who feeds on fear and awakens every 27 years to prey on children. Each member of the group faces visions tied to their deepest anxieties, from abuse to grief. Banding together, they confront Pennywise in the sewers beneath Derry, overcoming their fears and forcing him into retreat. Though victorious, they realize the threat is cyclical and vow to reunite if It ever returns.

Movies Like ‘It’

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Stand by Me (1986)

A group of boys set out to find a missing body, confronting the pains of growing up and the bond of friendship in the process.

—> Watch Stand by Me online.

The Goonies (1985)

A band of misfit kids go on an adventure to find treasure, using courage and teamwork to overcome danger and adversity.

—> Watch The Goonies online.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Teens are hunted in their dreams by Freddy Krueger, a monster who thrives on fear and forces them to face hidden trauma.

—> Watch A Nightmare on Elm Street online.

Stranger Things (2016– )

A group of friends in a small town battle supernatural forces while navigating the challenges of adolescence and family dysfunction.

The Babadook (2014)

A grieving mother and son are haunted by a sinister entity that symbolizes repressed trauma and psychological terror.

—> Watch The Babadook online.

The Monster Squad (1987)

A group of children must unite to battle classic monsters invading their town, blending horror with a story of belonging and bravery.

—> Watch The Monster Squad online.

Pet Sematary (1989/2019)

A grieving family discovers a burial ground that resurrects the dead, exploring grief, loss, and the consequences of ignoring natural cycles.

—> Watch Pet Sematary online.

Super 8 (2011)

A group of kids filming a home movie uncover a government secret and face danger together, highlighting friendship and resilience.

—> Watch Super 8 online.

Have Your Own ‘It’ Theory?

Honestly, I liked this version better than the original, although the original remains a classic. I just think the newer one dives more into symbolism, deeper meanings, etc.

What about you? Have any thoughts or theories about the new It you’d like to share?

Leave it all in the comments.

😱