8 Horror Movie Monsters Scarier Than The Actual Villain

5. The Leper - It

It Chapter 1
Warner Bros.

Okay so this one is technically cheating because the Leper is just a form that Pennywise uses to terrify the kids with but still, this guy scared me more than the dancing clown ever did.

Part of it is how unexpected his appearance is in the first movie. Showing up out of nowhere to chase germaphobe Eddie, the lack of nose, bloodshot eyes and zombie-like growls immediately set him apart as a different kind of threat.

The makeup work is fantastic too, and unlike some of the CGI creations, the fact that this is clearly an actor putting in the performance makes the threat even more tangible.

The entire character is indicative of why Andy Muschietti's two-parter works so well. By highlighting Pennywise's ability to exploit the biggest fear of the kids, the director is able to similarly mine the audience's psyche for scares.

Pennywise will always be the GOAT to many, but these manifestations are scarier than the clown himself.

Contributor

Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.