We’re still talking about it. Not uppercase It, like Pennywise, but lowercase it like, “OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED IN THAT THEATER?” it.
From the word go ‘It: Welcome to Derry‘ has been a full throttle, blood pounding horror classic that took expectations and murdered them…in a theater…with Phil, Teddy and Susie.
It’s checked off just about every box horror fans could possibly want. ‘Welcome to Derry’ is terrifying AND it adds to the already established lore. I would argue it goes further than that. ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ has created a Stephen King-verse of sorts with mentions of Shawshank Prison and the introduction of Dick Hallorann of ‘The Shining’ fame.
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The HBO Max hit, ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ has exceeded every expectation that laid ahead of it’s season premier, 5 weeks ago. Giving audiences another check in the horror win column.
WHAT WORKS FOR WELCOME TO DERRY
Where ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ achieves is its use and expansion of the established lore from the books and films, dipping into other King written sources. Episode 5, which is the latest episode to release, does the heavy lifting when it comes to the lore, bringing every hint and whisper left from the first four episodes to a climax.
More is done to establish Pennywise’s origin and why exactly he’s contained to the perimeter that he’s imprisoned. It also makes hints to what could potentially bring down the extraterrestrial clown. The slow burn to the big reveals and lore establishment has worked delightfully well for ‘Welcome to Derry.’
The dedication to storytelling has kept the engagement of the audience from week to week, which is important when establishing a show that has as immense a scale as ‘Welcome to Derry.’
A FANTASTIC YOUNG CAST
The young cast has been a tragically endearing high point of the show. They’re charming and so effective at conveying their sheer terror to the audience.
I have zero clue how Clara Stack pulled off that scene in the grocery store, but her performance was terrifying, geniune, and realistic. That sequence truly shook me. ‘Welcome to Derry’ set the bar high early as it pertains to who was “safe.”
The kids of Derry have been no exception. After the deaths of Teddy, Phil, and Susie in the first episode, the audience has no idea when or if a character is going to die. The writers pull you right to the edge and lull you into believing your favorite character is going to die before pulling back just a bit, allowing them live to fight another day.
That is the hallmark of Pennywise, itself, and it has truly helped the writers engage in effective storytelling that has been made possible by a truly effective cast.
‘Welcome to Derry,’ of course, would be nothing if not for it’s terrifying set pieces that have prevailed throughout each episode. Each more blood curdling then the last, Andy Muschietti has mastered horror on the small screen.
From birthing a literal demon in the first 10 minutes to sawblades and eyeballs, Muschietti has found a way to top each horrific encounter with Pennywise by creating unique settings and leaving nothing, and no one, off of the table. Going back to the sequence in the grocery store from episode 2, I have never been afraid of anything in a movie or TV show. Not once. That sequence genuinely unnerved me and actually scared me. Keep the scares coming!
OVERALL Rating: 9/10
‘It: Welcome to Derry’ has not only met, but exceeded expectations. Providing a horrific prequel to the terrifying films, the series is MUST SEE TV and, at midseason, poised to end with a horrifying bang.
‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Returns November 23rd at 9pm on HBO Max.
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