The Losers' Club discovers that their town is being terrorized by a shape-shifting, ancient being that primarily appears as . This entity emerges every 27 years to feed on the fear of children before consuming them.
Derry is a fictional town created by , famously inspired by his real-life home of Bangor, Maine . In the film's continuity: Derry, Maine. IT (2017)
: The town is portrayed as having a dark, repetitive history of tragedies that the adult population largely ignores or forgets due to the influence of the entity. The Losers' Club discovers that their town is
: Each member of the group is forced to confront their deepest personal demons and fears, which Pennywise manifests to paralyze them. In the film's continuity: : The town is
The story concludes with the Losers' Club successfully defeating Pennywise (for now) and making a blood oath to return to Derry if the monster ever resurfaces, setting the stage for IT Chapter Two .
: The children must overcome their individual traumas—ranging from abusive parents to societal racism—and band together to fight the monster in its lair within the town's sewers.
: Beyond the horror, the film serves as a nostalgic coming-of-age story about the strength of friendship and the loss of childhood innocence. Setting: Derry, Maine