IT: Welcome to Derry Review – Pennywise’s Return Is Big on Lore, But Light on Scares

by

Following the huge success of Andy Muschietti’s IT films, it was expected that Warner Bros. Discovery would expand the franchise. Now, a prequel series, IT: Welcome to Derry, has arrived, developed by Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. The eight-episode series explores the origins of Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) and his decades-long history of terrorizing the town of Derry, delivering on much of its initial promise by showing how he became a threat to children and how he gained his terrifying reputation. However, critics who have seen the first five episodes note that the series also shares some of the same issues as the IT movies, particularly IT: Chapter 2.

Mostly taking place in 1962, IT: Welcome to Derry shows one of Pennywise’s periods of active hunting. Every 27 years, the creature wakes up and frightens children, kidnapping them and pulling them into the sewers to satisfy its need for fear and human flesh. The story centers on a new group of outcast kids—the Losers’ Club—who unite to try and survive Pennywise’s attacks after becoming targets. The series also follows a hidden military operation happening near Derry, which gradually connects to Pennywise’s past.

Throughout most of the episodes we saw of Welcome to Derry, the show’s two main storylines feel quite separate. While there are a few connections between the adult and child characters, each plot generally unfolds on its own. This separation unfortunately highlights which storyline is more compelling – and it’s not the one you might think.

Rating: 3 out of 5

PROS CONS
Strong adult storyline with rich 1960s social and political context Overreliance on CGI-driven set pieces that dull the horror
Excellent performances overall Underdeveloped children’s storyline
Expands Pennywise’s mythology and connects cleverly to The Shining Missed opportunities to explore intriguing character backstories
Impressive production design and period atmosphere Uneven pacing and disconnected dual narratives

IT: Welcome to Derry Makes the Adults Interesting

I really enjoyed the first IT movie, and I was excited for Chapter 2, but I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. While the adult cast was incredible – seriously, James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader all together! – I just didn’t connect with them the way I did with the kids. The children in the first movie had such a special energy and their relationships felt so real. The adults, unfortunately, didn’t quite recapture that magic. It felt like they mostly just wandered around Derry, waiting for the final fight, and they didn’t get enough interesting things to do. That’s probably why the movie didn’t do as well as the first one, both with critics and at the box office.

The series Welcome to Derry improves upon its predecessor by giving the adult characters their own compelling storylines and challenges. It skillfully captures the anxieties of the early 1960s, a time marked by growing fears of nuclear war during the Cold War and the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The show also realistically portrays the racial tensions of the era, with Jim Crow laws still in effect in the South and Northern states grappling with issues of racism and equality. This creates a volatile atmosphere in Derry, making it the perfect hunting ground for a creature like Pennywise. Importantly, Welcome to Derry also gives a voice to the town’s Native American community, correcting a previous oversight and allowing them to fight against prejudice. These social issues are woven seamlessly into the supernatural narrative, something Stephen King himself would likely appreciate.

The show’s adult storyline reveals how the creature came to Derry and the strange rules it follows, offering a fresh take on the world of IT. Interestingly, the connections Welcome to Derry hints at within Stephen King’s broader universe are rooted in the town’s history of racism and a secret military operation. Dick Halloran from The Shining (played by Chris Chalk) is a key figure, and Chalk delivers a fantastic performance, adding depth to a character fans will recognize. In fact, the casting throughout the series is a major highlight, with Jovan Adepo as Major Halon, Taylour Paige as Charlotte, Kimberly Norris Guerrero as Rose, and James Remar as General Shaw all standing out.

The New Losers’ Club Is IT: Welcome to Derry‘s Least Interesting Aspect

Surprisingly, the story focusing on the kids in Welcome to Derry is the least interesting part of the series. This is because their experiences largely repeat what we already saw in the first movie. Since Pennywise remains powerful and unaffected, we know these children can’t truly defeat him, which makes their struggles feel less important. The show’s format, where characters come and go, also means we don’t get to see enough of the talented young actors. Ultimately, the biggest problem is that Welcome to Derry prioritizes flashy scenes over developing its characters.

The plot in this series mainly exists to set up special effects sequences, but these aren’t particularly engaging. The first movie effectively built suspense around Pennywise and his slow hunt for victims. However, this new installment relies too much on over-the-top, CGI-heavy attacks, which sometimes end up feeling unintentionally comical. The series continues this trend, constantly trying to make Pennywise’s appearances bigger and more impressive, but this loses its impact over time. Practical effects are often preferred in scary movies because computer-generated imagery struggles to create the realistic detail and atmosphere needed to make fantastical situations truly believable – and frightening.

As a big fan, I think one of the prequel’s biggest weaknesses is how it handles the new Losers’ Club. The first movie had a head start because we already knew how those kids related to each other. But this series has to build those relationships from scratch, and honestly, it doesn’t spend enough time doing it. Even with the extra hours a TV show gives you, it’s tough to buy that these kids would genuinely risk everything for each other when facing Pennywise. The focus on spectacle seems to come at the expense of really letting us see them bond, and that hurts the story’s emotional core.

The child characters are actually quite interesting, but the show doesn’t fully develop them. For example, Lilly’s history of trauma and stay in a mental institution hinted at a deeper look into the state of asylums in the 1960s, but that storyline never happened. Similarly, Rich’s Cuban heritage could have connected to the main themes, but it wasn’t explored. Even Ronnie, who seems like a key character for the younger group, doesn’t get enough screen time to really shine. It’s a shame, because the young actors are all very talented, and their potential is lost in favor of scares that aren’t very effective.

Despite its flaws, IT: Welcome to Derry remains an enjoyable series. The strong cast and the new insights into Pennywise’s backstory are definite highlights. However, the show sometimes tries too hard to be grand in scale, which holds it back. The pacing does get better as the season progresses, particularly when focusing on the adult characters, and the remaining unseen episodes might offer even more improvement. Ultimately, though, the first five episodes reveal significant weaknesses that are hard to overlook.

IT: Welcome to Derry premieres on HBO on October 26, with new episodes dropping each Sunday.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/7-essential-horror-movies-to-watch-every-october-and-where-to-stream-them-in-2025/embed/#

Read More

2025-10-22 19:20