1989年，位于缅因州的德里市，正被恐怖的阴影所笼罩。从上一年开始，儿童失踪案接连发生，似乎某个可怕的未知存在悄然来到了人们中间。痛失弟弟的少年比利（杰顿·李博赫 Jaeden Lieberher 饰），决定和艾迪、瑞奇、史丹利等伙伴利用暑假寻找弟弟乔治的下落。不久之后，遭小坏蛋们欺负的小胖子本、被疯传放荡的坏女孩贝弗莉以及父母死于大火的孤儿麦克相继加入这个受到嗤笑的窝囊废联盟。在这一过程中，他们经历了一连串的超自然的恐怖体验。少年们发现，在这个被诅咒的城市，每隔27年非正常死亡人数就会飙升。狞笑着的小丑（比尔·斯卡斯加德 Bill Skarsgård 饰），深入每个人的心底，挖掘他们最恐惧的部分…… 本片根据斯蒂芬·金的同名原著改编。
This film marks the directorial debut of Robert Benayoun. An artist (Richard Leduc) attending a party smokes some dope and develops the ability to see into the future and the past. He returns to his apartment where he sees the vision of a woman who had lived there 30 years ago. A friend tries to convince him it is his heightened sensitively as an artist that allows for the newfound abilities, but he soon has psychedelic hallucinations and his abilities increase with time. Stop-motion photography is effectively used in his sequence of visual experiences where the people exist but not the city in this metaphysical story.
久别重聚，友情依旧。同窗好友大步向前，结婚、怀孕、诞儿，艾丽丝只能踽踽独行，寻索自己的人生路。校园性侵事件发生后，生活如是继续：在母校教学升迁、与旧同学饭聚、被召任陪审员、与邻居展开恋情……一切仿佛如常，看不见的伤口却依然隐隐作痛，只怕惊恐攸然来袭，把人杀个措手不及。五个章节不按时序，任错落情绪在回忆的倒带和快进中跌宕。没有暴力的视觉冲击，
