I went into the first episode of “IT: Welcome to Derry” with low expectations. Then, in the first 10 minutes, it completely blew my mind with an opening scene so upsetting that I had to take a break to calm down. Soon after, it one-upped itself by killing off several characters in the very first episode. I was speechless. What I thought would be a cheap cash grab spinoff has turned out to be a genuinely impressive work of art. “IT: Welcome to Derry” is a prequel television series based on the 2017 movie “IT,” which itself was an adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel of the same name. The prequel takes place in the same setting but has very different characters and plot. Only the iconic antagonist, Pennywise the Clown, is retained. Our story follows schoolkids Lilly, Teddy and Phil who begin investigating the disappearance of their friend Matty. Unlike the original, the prequel also highlights an adult protagonist, Leroy Hanlon, a U.S. Air Force pilot stationed on a military base in Derry involved in a secret government project. The plot jumps from one character’s perspective to another within the same episode, showing characters who may not be directly related at first but are all caught up in a much larger mystery that gradually brings them closer together.
What stood out to me about “IT: Welcome to Derry” was how much more mature and terrifying it is than “IT.” This prequel deals with some heavy subjects that hit very close to home, including racism, child abuse, abuse of the mentally ill, social alienation, homelessness, runaway children, government corruption and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is far more frightening than your typical monster movie because some of the issues in this show are real and depict real life. One of the main characters, Lilly, lost her father in a horrific accident as a child and was committed to an asylum for years because society couldn’t understand how her trauma was affecting her behavior. Now, she is bullied by peers and mistreated by adults for being different. As someone suffering from trauma-induced illness, I thought Lilly’s scenes were so intense that I had trouble getting through them.
A major strength of this show is the character development and how it ups the stakes. Seeing the intricate struggles, emotions and relationships of the heroes made me care about them so much more than the generic teenage horror protagonists I’m used to seeing in media. I especially liked Lilly and Hanlon, and wanted to see them succeed. And as a result, I am petrified seeing them in danger.
The series also deals with one of the most frightening monsters of them all: racism. A majority of Derry’s population is white. There is an open hostility towards people of color that was so real it made me uncomfortable. “IT: Welcome to Derry” feels more like “Get Out” than a monster movie sometimes. The scenes are shot from the limited perspective of the “victims,” which helped me to see the anxiety the character was feeling in that moment. Seeing a character I liked being surrounded by men looking to hurt him put me in his shoes on a mental level. Honestly, I’m not sure Pennywise is even the worst monster in this show, because the evil humanity is capable of makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.
One of the things I loved most about this show’s pilot was how real the stakes are. This is not a generic creature feature where the main characters run from the monster and get away in the nick of time: if these people make one mistake, they’re dead meat. Every time the monster showed up, I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for the main characters.
The horror scenes are astounding. Instead of cheap jump scares, it opts for a more surreal and nightmarish approach. The characters are often in a totally normal situation before Pennywise uses his powers to slowly warp their minds to bring them into a delusion that is a terrifying blend of nightmare and real danger. The rapid shift in lighting, mood and setting sets up a monster reveal that feels like falling into another dimension. Such powerful use of perspective in cinematography takes a good horror scene to a great one.
It isn’t copying the methods of the original horror story; it’s perfecting them. I’m not going to tell you details because you should watch it for yourself; it’s worth it.
The only things I can think of to criticize was a scuffed background CGI scene and a few too many dialogue scenes at the school that were not very plot-relevant. There are a few moments of poor pacing when the story takes too long to get to the point when I would rather cut back to the main plot, such as when Hanlon’s wife Charlotte is shown running errands around town. Otherwise, there is little to criticize here.
Altogether, I was blown away by the first two episodes of “IT: Welcome to Derry,” and I am already eager for the next episode’s release. This is the perfect horror show to watch late at night with some snacks, and I can wholeheartedly recommend you watch it. I would rate it a solid 9/10.
“IT: Welcome to Derry” is currently streaming on HBO Max. New episodes will be released every Sunday at 8 p.m. CST.
