IT: WELCOME TO DERRY: A Horrifying Series or a Gory Miss

These Screeners for episodes 1-5 of IT: WELCOME TO DERRY were made possible thanks to Warner Bros Discovery and HBO. Check out more reviews by Matt Roth at http://linktr.ee/hopsgeeknews

The beloved IT franchise from author Stephen King has had a couple of different versions of the novel brought to life on the silver screen; however, we have never seen Pennywise or the lore expanded upon in the way IT: Welcome to Derry does here. Andy Muschietti returns to the world he helped build with IT Chapter One and Two, as does Barbara Muschietti, along with IT Chapter Two’s Jason Fuchs, produced by HBO and Warner Bros Television.

The series is set in the 1950s post-Korean War world located in Derry, NH, starring Joven Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, and Bill Skarsgard.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

From the moment the show kicks off, they quickly showcase that nobody is safe and that they are not afraid to dive deep into the frightening and often weird lore of Pennywise. Some scenes and sequences feature very gruesome and blood-soaked deaths showcasing a much more violent side of the franchise that I did not think was possible. Despite only having seen the first 5 episodes so far, there are moments in which I thought they were pulling away before things got too gut-wrenching, only to be met with them upping the ante and pushing the envelope even further.

The show is not afraid to take risks, and it turns out to be the strong suit of the show and making this universe that much better. The writing itself is a true standout, and every scene is shot in such a way that it manages to pull out squeamish feelings, but what impressed me more was just how impressive the child actors were in this series.

Intense and Nauseating

You’re only as strong as the actors chosen to play their parts, and Clara Stack, Mikkal Karim Fidler, Jack Molloy Legault, and Amanda Christine steal the show from the very jump, as you can feel the terror these kids begin to go through, and both want to look away, but at the same time cannot bring themselves to do so. They are put in a variety of tense and horrifying situations in which Andy, Barbara, and Jason showcase just how deep into the lore they are willing to go.

More than that, there is another plot taking place with Jovan Adepo, who is an Air Force pilot sent to Derry to train on the B-52 that ties into the overall plot and brings out a vast amount of easter eggs that will blow avid fans of both King and IT’s minds.

IT: Welcome to Derry may in fact be the best show to launch in 2025. It is full of tense, bloody, and gripping moments completed with excellent writing, directing, and acting, making the first five episodes of this series the total package. The team goes to extraordinary lengths to build this universe without sacrificing the story we already know the completion of. You cannot miss this series as it premieres on October 26th, at 9 pm EST, and each week after until December 14th exclusively on HBO and HBO MAX.

Make sure to catch the companion podcast hosted by Marc Bernardin and Princess Weekes, available on HBO MAX and podcast platforms following each episode.