In the more recent It film adaptations, a group of friends battle against a supernatural evil both as children and adults. However, Pennywise the Dancing Clown has been terrorizing a small Maine town for ages. In It: Welcome to Derry, we find a different group of plucky youths crossing paths with Pennywise long before The Losers Club ever did.
One aspect the prequel shares with the movies are strong performances from the children cast members. Despite the 60s setting, they all seem very present in their speech and mannerisms providing a timeless factor. Welcome to Derry also does a good job creating the outsider/outcast atmosphere surrounding the young characters credibly building the underdog status. Most importantly, they all come off as regular, relatable kids which makes them easier to connect to.
Miles Ekhardt brings a kind soul to his Matty, the boy whose disappearance sparks the events. Even though Matty has had a rough upbringing and has a bit of a mischievous streak, you can sense his warmness and charm with friends. On the other side, you feel the weight and guilt from Clara Stack and Mikkal Karim Fidler’s Lily and Teddy respectively. They are the only ones who care or even notice that their friend is gone. That vulnerability makes them prime targets for It.
For the most part, the horror is genuinely creepy. There can be a false sense of security that can quickly change over something as arbitrary as an impromptu spelling demonstration or a movie showing. The clever crafting of suspense and unpredictability creates a disturbing aura in a good way. But the horror could use some restraint at times. When it turns to monster scares, it becomes a little campy and can incorporate scenes for shock factor. The antagonist is a monster but sometimes it can take away from the psychological facets.
From a story standpoint, Welcome to Derry does rehash similar storylines from the films. A group of outcasts searching for a missing friend believing that a supernatural being in the sewers is responsible. But, hopefully they get these similarities out of the way early and can build upon the greater mythology moving forward. Some of the longer term storytelling can revolve around the army subplots. The show barely touches the surface, but sets the direction the subplot is going, especially considering the character ties to the movies.
One plot choice to nitpick from the episode is Matty’s use of a pacifier. The opening segment overemphasizes the use, yet in other flashbacks, the baby item is nowhere to be seen. It seems odd that the first defining trait of the character is the pacifier but it isn’t reinforced later. It feels like a forced way to leave behind a signature token to be discovered later.
Overall, “The Pilot” serves as a good reintroduction to the It world. Even though it contains plot rehashes, it also introduces captivating character and incorporate genuinely creepy scares.
New episodes of It: Welcome to Derry air Sundays on HBO.
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