| NOTE: This page is only about the version of Henry Bowers in the 2017-19 film adaptation. For his literary counterpart, as well as the version in the 1990 TV adaptation, see here. |
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| “ | You losers are trying to hard. She'll do you. | „ |
| ~ Henry to the Losers – his most famous quote. |
Henry Bowers is the secondary antagonist of the 2017-19 film series, IT, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephen King. Like his original novel incarnation, he is the local bully, the Losers Club's arch-rival, the leader of his gang and the puppet of the bloodthirsty trans-dimensional fiend known as Pennywise.
He was portrayed by Nicholas Hamilton as a teenager and Teach Grant as an adult.
Personality[]
Henry is less depraved and sadistic compared to the novel and miniseries. He gives Bill Denbrough a "free ride" from his bullying due to Georgie disappearing (whereas in the novel and miniseries, he never shows any kindness towards any members of the Losers Club) and didn't bully him over the school years. Henry also has a cousin whom he "protects" from Richie's advances (though his cousin told him Richie was gay to stay on his hostile cousin's "good" side). Henry also never calls Mike a racial slur, makes no attempt to sexually assault Beverly and doesn't bully Stanley for his religion. However, in the 2019 sequel, he has gone insane from his experiences and psychologically torments Mike over his parents' death as Henry tries to kill him, tauntingly asking if Mike can smell them burning "like ripe fucking chicken".
Appearance[]
As a teenager Henry was a slender boy with brown hair styled in a mullet with a rather punkish fashion sense; his most prominent outfit in the movie was that of a red vest shirt, dark grey, aged boot-cut jeans, studded cuffs and black boots. After spending time in the mental institution Henry had developed a more stocky build, his skin became paler and his mullet grew longer although unlike in the book and miniseries his hair remained the same color. Throughout his time here he wore a grey vest shirt, blue jeans, black trainers and occasionally a navy blue hoodie.
Biography[]
It: (2017 film)[]
Rather than being of the class of the Losers' Club, Henry is portrayed as an older, high school-aged teenager though he's 2 years older in the miniseries. His physical character is designed in a more modern-day punkish type as he is shown completely without a leather jacket and his hair is a brown mullet rather than black and oiled. He's also plot irrelevant here as he doesn't have much relevance to the plot until Pennywise gets involved and gets taken down without causing much injury in both parts.
Also, Henry's sadism is toned down compared to the novel and miniseries where he even goes as far as to give Bill Denborough a free pass from his bullying because of his late little brother George "Georgie" Denborough. He first appears with his gang leaning against lockers and watching the Losers pass. Outside when they start bullying the Losers causing Bill to tell Henry he sucks. Henry approaches Bill threateningly and tells him although he did get a free pass it is now over. Henry sees his dad (now a police officer in this movie version) watching him so Henry does not harm Bill and instead he and his gang get into Belch's car and drive away.
Later he and the gang drive by the barber shop without seeing Michael "Mike" Hanlon. But once Pennywise finishes tormenting Mike, Henry Bowers and his gang almost drive over Mike who moves in time. Henry yells at Mike to stay out of his town and throws his cigarette at him before the gang leaves.
He attempts to bully the new kid Benjamin "Ben" Hanscom later on by carving his name into Ben's belly with a switchblade. Henry only makes it to the "H" before Ben kicks him in the crotch and falls backwards over the guard rails and flees into the Barrens, where he is saved by Richie, Stan, Eddie and Bill. Henry loses his switchblade and, fearful what his father might do if he discovers he lost it, starts searching for it along with Victor, and he sends Patrick and Belch after Ben. After he and Belch look in different locations Patrick is then killed by Pennywise when running through the sewers thinking he heard Ben.
In a deleted scene Henry is seen at his tragic and hard home life recovering from a beating from his dad. Henry then gets into Belch's car with him and Victor and after discussing Patrick's disappearance and Henry's dad getting on Henry's nerves because of the lost switchblade, they secretly followed Mike Hanlon who is riding by on his bike and the scene ends.
Later (back in theatrical version), Henry, Vic and Belch catch up to and start bullying Mike by forcing him to eat raw meat and Henry prepares to hit him in the head with a rock until the Losers Club (now with Beverly) appear and pelt the group with rocks to save Mike, hitting Henry and causing him to fall down.
This event humiliates Henry and sends him into insanity, which is shown in a later scene when he tries to force a reluctant Belch to use a cat for target practice with his father's "borrowed" handgun. However before they can kill the cat Henry's father Butch intervenes and humiliates his son by firing the gun inches away from Henry's feet in front of his friends, calling Henry a coward afterwards.
Later when recovering from the abuse by his father, Henry discovers a balloon on his mailbox near his house and the switchblade he lost when he was chasing Ben. It compels Henry to murder Butch with the switchblade before goading him to kill the Losers Club, who are heading to the Neibolt House to rescue Beverly and kill It.
In a deleted scene, Henry kills Victor and Belch and steals Belch's car. As the Losers lower into the well within the Neibolt House's basement, Henry appears and attacks Mike Hanlon (the only one who has not climbed down yet) from behind, prepared to kill him. Henry taunts Mike over the deaths of his parents and how he regrets not being able to do it himself. Mike pushes Henry down the well, where Henry is arrested after being confirmed alive.
It: Chapter Two[]
Henry survived the fall and is eventually washed out of the storm drains and into the Barrens. When he gets out, he gets arrested by Butch Bowers's officer partner because of his father's murder. In 2016, an older Henry is seen being put into in his prison cell while a balloon follows him through the room. When he sees the balloon inside, he pops it and a corpse-zombie form of Patrick Hockstetter appears and gives him his switchblade, unlike Belch, whom appeared in the novel and 1990 miniseries. He then later escapes his facility and undead Patrick drives him away with Belch's Trans-Am.
He later confronts Eddie and slices a part of his face also telling him that he will "float", showing that It has manipulated him and made him Its puppet. Eddie makes an emergency move and stabs Henry in the face, but Henry doesn't gets affected by it, but he uses it as an opportunity to escape. Eddie gets out of the room and Beverly and Ben notices him. Ben goes to check if Henry is still there but sees that he escaped by the window. Henry points to the switchblade placed into his chest/stomach and physiologically reminds him of his attempt to carve his name into Ben's stomach. He then leaves the place with Belch's Trans-Am.
At the library, he uses a book to distract Mike Hanlon. While Mike checks the book, he sees the history of Derry. When he closes the book, Henry appears with his switchblade and attacks Mike. As the two struggle, Henry taunts Mike about the deaths of Mike's parents. However, Richie comes up from behind and impales Henry in the back of the head with an old axe, killing him. Feeling horrified that he killed Henry Bowers, regardless of his crimes, Richie vomits, then the others come to check if anybody is injured only to look on in horror at Henry's corpse.
Quotes[]
It (2017)[]
| “ | I'm gonna carve my whole name onto this cottage cheese! | „ |
| ~ Henry threatening to carve his name onto Ben's belly |
| “ | Stay the fuck out of my town! | „ |
| ~ Henry to Mike |
| “ | You s-s-say something, B-B-B-Billy? | „ |
| ~ Henry mocking Bill |
| “ | You two, get him! | „ |
| ~ Henry inadvertently causes Patrick's death by ordering him and Belch to hunt down Ben, wherein Patrick follows Pennywise into the Barrens |
| “ | Like lambs to a slaughter. Wouldn't you say fellas? Yeah, sure you would. | „ |
| ~ (*Deleted scene*) Henry Bowers after slitting the throats of Belch and Victor |
| “ | You didn't listen to what I told you, did you? You should have stayed out of Derry. Your parents didn't, and look what happened to them. I still get sad everytime I pass by that pile of ashes, sad that I couldn't have done it myself. | „ |
| ~ Henry to Mike before falling down the well at the abandoned well house |
It: Chapter Two[]
| “ | I'm not done yet! I'm not done! I'm not fucking done! I can't! No! I gotta kill them all! Fucking KILL THEM ALL! STOP IT! FUCK YOU! OW! FUCK YOU! | „ |
| ~ Henry as the cops arrest him for killing his father |
| “ | Richie fucking Tozier? What are you trying to bone my little cousin? GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, F-----! | „ |
| ~ Henry to Richie after the latter tries to make friends with his cousin but sends off the wrong vibes with his overeagerness |
| “ | FUCKING MOVE! | „ |
| ~ Henry to Richie, continuation of him telling him to leave |
| “ | Hockstetter? My knife. | „ |
| ~ Henry when Pennywise comes to him as Patrick to give him his knife back |
| “ | Hey, Hockstetter. Let's go! | „ |
| ~ Henry making his escape from the institution with help from Pennywise |
| “ | It's your time, Eddie! | „ |
| ~ Henry before stabbing Eddie in the cheek |
| “ | (Eddie: Why did you do that?!) (laughs insanely) Because he said it's your time! (Eddie: Who said it's my time?) (Henry suddenly stops laughing) You know, Eddie. You. Know. Time to float! | „ |
| ~ Henry after stabbing Eddie while revealing that Pennywise is manipulating him |
| “ | (chuckles) ONE DOWN! FUCK YEAH! | „ |
| ~ Henry fleeing after attacking Eddie |
| “ | You should've burned, Mike. Just like your druggie parents. Can you see them yet? Crisping? Like fried fucking chi..." | „ |
| ~ Henry's last words to Mike as he is cut off mid-sentence when Richie chops him in the head with a hatchet |
Gallery[]
.jpg "Henry Bowers (2019).jpg (24 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Some of the more disturbing sinister acts of Henry Bowers in the novel, such as an act of bestiality with a sheep and ejaculating onto a birthday cake, were omitted from both the miniseries and the 2017 film, likely to avoid an NC-17 rating.
- This version of Henry is the only incarnation of the character whose hair remained the same color after being imprisoned for his crimes. This is cause unlike his book and miniseries incarnations this version of Henry was never put under trauma at the hands of IT.
- Despite still being the secondary antagonist, Henry does not have much characterization or impact on the plot in the film adaptations, with him being swiftly defeated in both parts before he can cause major harm.
- In the book, Henry was implied to be bisexual after getting a handjob by Patrick, in which Henry was enjoying it. The films do not mention his sexuality and was instead homophobic after Henry catches Richie seemed to be trying to get into his cousin, Connor and calls him a homophobia slur. Although this only happened because Connor was afraid of Henry, which led him to outing Richie.
