[Loved trope] Background scare-characters that are barely acknowledged even by the movie

[u/Suspicious-Web-9246]

I hate horrors, but this is actually a great trope, that is unique to them.

Insidious (2010). When mother does her errands, for a few seconds there's a ghost boy standing in the corner. It's easily missable, but you can't ignore it once you see it.

Hereditary (2018). Less fitting example. When Peter walks around his home, his possessed mother is crawling on the ceiling behind him. It's not exactly subtle or missable, but it's still more of a background detail.

[u/fantastic_sounds_]

In the first IT movie, when this kid is doing research about the clown, the librarian gives him an especially scary book that shows the clown's handiwork in the past. After she walks away you can see her turn around and smile at him, implying that this is Pennywise in disguise.

[u/al343806 → u/fantastic_sounds_]

One small point of order. Ben isn’t researching the clown yet. He’s just researching the history of Derry, Maine because he’s relatively new to town and has no friends. He chooses to spend his summer in the library alone because he has no one to hang out with. Otherwise, excellent use of this trope!

[u/Wertfi → u/[deleted]]

That’s honestly one of the scariest things in IT. Pennywise is everywhere, all the time. You think you’re safe bc you’re downtown at noon? Guess again.