10 Scariest Movie Paintings
9. Pennywise’s Modigliani Homage - Stephen King's IT: Chapter One
Released in 2017, Stephen King's IT: Chapter One blew the expectations of both horror fans and casual cinema-goers out of the water. A funny and moving coming-of-age story buoyed by superb performances from its young cast, the film was also a gripping and terrifying horror that did justice to its legendary creator's doorstop of a novel.
The film's success came down to an episodic structure wherein the Losers Club encountered the monstrous villain Pennywise the Dancing Clown one-by-one before teaming up to try and take him down. This ensured that the opening half was filled with unsettling sequences that make the ending all the more satisfying, gradually ratcheting up the tension by exploring the individual fears of each kid protagonist.
For the nebbish Stanley, his personal visit from Pennywise comes in the form of an unforgettably creepy portrait with an elongated face that haunts his synagogue. Already odd and unsettling, the painting comes to horrifying life when Stanley is left alone with it.
Interestingly, this painting's grotesque visage is mirrored later in the film by the misshapen leper who haunts Stanley's friend Eddie.