Andy Muschietti’s adaptation of Stephen King’s IT became a cultural phenomenon when Warner Bros. released it in 2017. In fact, it became the biggest horror movie opening weekend in history. And many consider it one of the best horror films of this century, properly doing justice to King’s seminal 1986 book. But after IT: Chapter Two wrapped up the events of King’s novel, was there more to mine from the world of Pennywise? Turns out, the answer is a big fat “yes.” IT: Welcome to Derry is more than just another prequel/origin story. This series does what great continuations do best. It expands the characters we know from the first installment and adds new characters we grow to love just as much. IT: Welcome to Derry is a triumph in its first five episodes, and we hope that it sticks the finale landing.
One of the major movie changes was moving the Loser’s Club story in Derry to 1989, instead of 1958. This was likely done so their adult selves could exist in a contemporary setting. Or, it was simply an attempt to capitalize on ‘80s nostalgia. In any case, the mid-century vibes of King’s novel vanished. America in 1989 was a vastly different place from America in 1958. So the film just couldn’t quite approximate the exact tone of King’s book. By switching events to 1962, you’re far closer to the energy of the country of the late ‘50s. All of which would all change one year later with the Kennedy assassination and the arrival of the Beatles. That nostalgia for his Maine childhood, which is so prevalent in King’s novel, returns in Welcome to Derry. And the series is all the better for it.
Thanks to this time period shift, Welcome to Derry explores small-town America in ways the movies never could. This is especially true for all the ugly parts, like racial prejudices and small-mindedness that were often the norm. This is best exemplified by Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo as Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon, grandparents of Mike Hanlon from the Loser’s Club. In 1962 Derry, Leroy is a Black officer in the Air Force stationed in town, and his wife Charlotte is a civil rights activist.
Townsfolk constantly remind them that the New England town they now call home is “not the South.” But they soon find that racism exists in Derry as much as anywhere else. It is just under a more polite veneer. Also dealing with racial fallout is movie theater employee Hank (Stephen Rider), who the town instantly blames when tragedy unfolds. All of this gives Welcome to Derry layers the movies only paid lip service to.
But the true key to the success of Muschietti’s films, which is also the case for Welcome to Derry, was the casting of the kid characters. They remain the focus, as they should. We might even say the children in this series are even more well-cast, and well-rounded as characters, than the excellent cast of the film. At the very least, because of the nature of episodic television, we have more room to explore their personalities. And that certainly doesn’t hurt. But the standouts are Blake Cameron James as Will Hanlon, Clara Stack as Lily, a young girl recovering from a tragic past, and Amanda Christine as Ronnie, who is coping with unfounded accusations against her father Hank. But truthfully, all the kids in this cast shine.
Not only is the acting impeccable from everyone, but the fidelity to keeping things in line with the films is also on point. Derry really looks like the same Derry from the films, only 27 years earlier. Sometimes period-specific productions drop the ball, but not here. It may feel weird and not noticeable to younger viewers, but 1962 looks vastly different from, say, 1968. And the production team understands this, which some series and movies simply don’t. We’re not sure what the production budget is for this series, but every episode looks like a feature film. In a way, Welcome to Derry makes the films somehow better. (Well, the jury is out on It: Chapter Two).
What you’re probably dying to know more than anything is “Is It: Welcome to Derry scary?” Well, we’ll just say that the very episode opens with a truly disturbing sequence that will have most viewers’ jaws on the floor. It’s not just scary, it has a disturbing quality that’s rarely seen in studio horror films, much less a streaming series. And without going into spoiler territory too much, let’s just say that this show has zero problem putting innocent kids in the ground in the most gruesome ways possible. From the first episode, Welcome to Derry lets you know no one is safe. As for the Pennywise of it all, we won’t spoil too much. We’ll just say that yes, he is in the series, and yes, Bill Skarsgård plays him again. But even when he’s not onscreen, he’s felt.
Sometimes, the worst thing you can do in horror media is over-explain. Do we really want to know how Freddy Krueger can invade dreams? Or how Michael Myers is an engine of pure evil? Usually, the answer to that is “no.” But Welcome to Derry manages to give Pennywise and the whole town of Derry a detailed origin story (one that will last three seasons, if all goes well), and it actually works. The lore and world-building are top-notch in this series, and they only enhance King’s now-40-year-old mythology. Speaking of King lore, Welcome to Derry has several ties to other Stephen King novels, with one major character from The Shining in a significant supporting role. Welcome to Derry is a welcome surprise that horror fans will definitely want to check out.
It: Welcome to Derry premieres on October 26 on HBO Max.
The post IT: WELCOME TO DERRY Elevates Stephen King’s Terrifying Town (Review) appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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