Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars
IT: Welcome to Derry Season One takes on a daunting task—expanding one of horror’s most recognizable properties—and emerges largely victorious. Rather than simply stretching the films into episodic form, the series smartly broadens the mythology of IT, delivering a story that feels both expansive and purposeful. With a production value and budget that rival the theatrical films, the show looks and feels like prestige horror television, while still allowing itself the freedom to take creative risks that push the world of Derry beyond what we’ve already seen on the big screen.
One of the season’s smartest decisions is its patience. By waiting to fully unleash Pennywise, the series avoids the trap of overexposure that plagues many horror icons when translated to long-form storytelling. The slow burn approach builds dread organically, allowing the town itself—and its dark history—to become just as unsettling as the monster lurking beneath it.
Andy Muschietti’s commitment to quality is evident throughout. As both director and showrunner, he maintains a confident tonal grip on the series, balancing atmosphere, character, and outright terror with impressive consistency. The casting of the younger characters is another standout, with performances that feel natural, emotionally grounded, and easy to invest in—no small feat in a story this large and lore-heavy.
If the season stumbles at all, it’s in its occasionally fast-and-loose approach to established mythology. At times, the series flirts with retconning elements fans may already hold dear, and while these changes are mostly in service of expansion rather than contradiction, they can momentarily pull you out of the experience.
Still, Bill Skarsgård remains a towering presence. Despite increased screen time devoted to Pennywise’s backstory and deeper character exploration, Skarsgård somehow manages to keep the character just as chilling as ever. It’s a testament to both his performance and the show’s understanding of what makes Pennywise terrifying in the first place.
By the time the season reaches its epic finale, Welcome to Derry fully earns its ambition. The scope is massive, the payoff satisfying, and the series proves it can deliver rich character development and dense exposition without sacrificing scares—or gore. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this is a series that sets a high bar for horror television, expanding the world of IT while still reminding us why it was so frightening to begin with.
