🔗 Share this article

The debut of It: Welcome to Derry over the coming days takes audiences back to the early 1960s, where a fresh group of kids confronts an age-old, fear-eating jester. Considering the original It story revolved significantly around teens in danger, it's unsurprising that this series continues a similar path. But, Welcome to Derry ramps up the horror even more than the latest movies, establishing its harsh atmosphere quicker than viewers might expect.

An Chilling Start in a Doomed Town

The series kicks off on a snowy January evening in the haunted town of Derry, Maine, taking place in 1962. Following getting thrown out of a cinema for slipping in and refusing to go back home to his violent parents, a 12-year-old youth (the young actor) clutches his pacifier for solace while hitchhiking out of the city. After he is eventually given a ride, the chilled child agrees. Very soon, though, for him to understand the scale of his mistake.

We will pause at this point to prevent revealing any elements from the installment. It is enough to say that Welcome to Derry wastes no time in demonstrating just how graphic and frightening the program will be, especially regarding the brutality experienced by children in the locale.

From start to finish, the series' debut episode proves its creators have no fear to "push boundaries," to the point that it probably ought to come with a content advisory for those sensitive to violence against young people; it's truly that disturbing.

A New Take to Terror

Executive producer Jason Fuchs has in the past likened Pennywise to the predator from Jaws, a creature revealed in brief looks that leads toward a grand climax. In Welcome to Derry, however, the focus moves toward additional transforming horrors evocative of Stephen King's initial book. With the extended duration and high-quality of an HBO production, the program is patient exploring these fears instead of rushing to highlight the clown, resulting in a creepier, heightened fright than the recent adaptations.

Is It For You?

Any viewer with even a passing familiarity of It ought to understand what they're getting into when it comes to brutality toward children, but Welcome to Derry turns the volume to the maximum when compared to the miniseries and even the films. Considering this, it deserves a PSA if those versions are where one draws the line. Yet still, It: Welcome to Derry is an superb series with a premiere installment that's a perfect watch for the spooky time of year.

• Graphic violence involving minors
• Extended runtime for deeper fear exploration
• Increased shapeshifting monsters from the source book
• Establishes a darker atmosphere than earlier adaptations