'IT: Welcome To Derry' Episode One Spoiler-Free Review

TV & Film

Oct 30

IT: Welcome To Derry — Image Source: Wallpaper Abyss

After 6 years away, audiences now find themselves in a little town called Derry once again.

Nearly 40 years ago, Stephen King’s IT was published. Wildly acclaimed, IT became one of King’s most enduring classics alongside the likes of Carrie and The Shining. The eternally relatable tale of the loss of innocence was first adapted into a miniseries starring Tim Curry as Pennywise (the titular IT) in 1990. Then, in the late 2010s, after nearly a decade of development hell, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema released a critically acclaimed film adaptation, directed by Andy Muschietti. Garnering high praise for its performances, Muschietti’s direction, the musical score, and sense of atmosphere, IT Chapter One quickly cemented itself as one of the greatest Stephen King adaptations of all time. Audiences agreed, as the film would gross a record-breaking 704 million dollars, becoming the highest-grossing horror film ever made. While IT Chapter Two received similar praise for its direction and acting, it received weaker reviews and box-office performance than the first. Despite that, it remains one of the most financially successful horror films to date. And of course, with acclaim and good box office, Hollywood wants to keep things going.

In 2019, screenwriter Gary Dauberman and star Bill Skarsgård both discussed the possibility of an IT Chapter Three. Little did we know that director Andy Muschietti and producing partner (and sister) Barbara were thinking about making a prequel film that explored Pennywise’s past terrors and origins. When the concept grew far bigger than they expected, the Muschiettis and screenwriter Jason Fuchs (an uncredited screenwriter on It Chapter Two), and Brad Caleb Kane developed what would become Welcome to Derry. Heavily based on the interludes of the very long original King novel, there was a ton of mythology and material for the filmmakers to work with to craft an ambitious and massive series. Welcome to Derry comes at an interesting time, with the creatives involved all having something to prove. HBO needs a genre hit outside the Game of Thrones franchise, as well as a winning horror series as The Last of Us takes an eternity to return for season 3. Jason Fuchs needs a win, coming off the Matthew Vaughn-directed disaster, Argyle. And of course, director Andy Muschietti needs a win, coming off the critical and finacial underperformance of The Flash.

With all that being said, I’m happy to report that everyone scored a big win with this first episode, because IT: Welcome to Derry’s debut episode is one of the most exhilarating pieces of horror television I’ve seen in ages.

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Set in 1962 (27 years before the events of IT Chapter One), Welcome to Derry focuses on the mysterious disappearance of a young boy named Matty Clements. As three young high-school students assemble to find him, two members of the Air Force arrive in Derry to command a B-52. So naturally, things in Derry aren’t exactly chipper. The pilot introduces most of our central characters, which can hurt the flow a bit. As we become invested in the adventure of our high-school protagonists, the subplot involving the military can feel out of place. However, considering those scenes set the foundation for the rest of the season (as it’s been confirmed this subplot will involve famed Stephen King character, Dick Halloran), I can’t complain too much. Despite that, the real creative winner of the episode is Andy Muschietti.

From the opening scene, Andy Muschietti crafts a sequence so anxiety-inducing and disgusting that it reminds you why he was hired to direct the IT films in the first place. If one of the main goals of the first 11 minutes of the pilot was to silence Muschietti’s critics who have been saying since The Flash that he has no talent, mission freakin’ accomplished! While I wouldn’t call the It dulogy tame by any stretch of the imagination, Welcome to Derry provides a sense of bloody goodness that Muschietti has never been able to channel before. While the episode also features the same nail-biting tension and effective use of jump scares that the films do, the more brutal horror sequences (especially the heart-stopping climax) send a very early message that Welcome to Derry isn’t just going to be IT but a TV show. Even in non-horror sequences, Muschietti’s direction is impressive all around, maintaining the same Spielbergian feel that he channeled with IT Chapter One.

Like the movies, the performances are major standouts. Jovan Apedo’s performance as Major Leroy Hanlon is subtle but engaging. Hanlon’s introduction also promises meatier social commentary later in the season. It’s nice to see that the creatives behind Welcome to Derry have learned from the mistakes of the movies and are not sidelining Black characters this time around. A line of dialogue from a young girl named Ronnie (played by Amanda Christine) about how the police try to pin Matty’s disappearance on her father also implies that the showrunners are very aware of the time period in which this season takes place. Mikkal Karim-Fidler as Teddy Uris, a young boy who is still haunted by Matty’s disappearance, and Jack Molloy Legault as Phil Malkin, a hormonal boy who has given up all hope, are also good here. The aforementioned Amanda Christine as Ronnie Grogan and Miles Ekhardt as Matty Clements are also compelling young performers.

However, the episode completely belongs to Clara Stack as Lilly Bainbridge. A high-school student mourning the death of her father, as well as reeling from the disappearance of Matty Clements, Stack conveys Lilly’s sense of loss and dread insanely well. Equal parts plucky horror heroine and budding scream queen, delivering one of the most harrowing screams I’ve ever heard in a TV series, Clara Stack carries the weight of the episode on her shoulders. Both Stack’s performance and the characterization of Lilly will surely make the rest of the season worthwhile. If nothing else, Clara Stack is a superstar in the making, and I wish nothing but constant opportunity for her in the future. If there is any universal constant of Andy Muschietti’s work, young performers will act circles around everyone else.

Any skepticism one might have of this series will be completely done away with by the pilot alone. Sporting masterful direction from Andy Muschietti, winning performances (particularly from Clara Stack), winning production design, an intense musical score, and a remarkable sense of atmosphere, Welcome to Derry is an unexpectedly worthwhile return to the IT Universe. Cannot praise the genuinely breathtaking horror filmmaking on display here, which rivals any studio horror film that has hit the big screen in recent years. While a part of me will wonder what it would be like if Welcome to Derry remained a feature film, I’m more than happy that we can spend the next 7 weeks in this world. If Andy Muschietti’s next project involves a certain caped crusader, Welcome to Derry is proof that he is indeed ready for the task.

Any fans of IT, Stephen King, Andy Muschietti, or horror in general will be more than satisfied. It’s been a while since mainstream horror has felt this massive and visceral. Should Muschietti’s next 3 episodes and the 4 after that keep up the momentum of this episode, we are in for a genuine masterpiece of horror television.

Rating: 10/10

IT: Welcome to Derry, Season 1, Episode 1: The Pilot is now streaming on HBO Max.

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