IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 Review: HBO’s Chilling Prequel Dives Deep into Stephen King’s Cursed Town – A Must-Watch Horror Gem (2025).
Stephen King’s It has long been a cornerstone of modern horror, a sprawling epic of childhood terror, cosmic evil, and the festering underbelly of small-town America. The 2017 and 2019 film adaptations by Andy Muschietti grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, blending nostalgic ’80s vibes with Pennywise’s nightmarish grin to create a franchise juggernaut.
Now, HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 transports us back to the 1960s, unearthing the cursed history of Derry, Maine, in a prequel series that expands King’s lore with psychological depth, racial reckonings, and unrelenting dread. Premiering on October 26, 2025, with weekly episodes culminating in a finale that teases Seasons 2 and 3, this eight-episode arc (streaming on HBO Max) is a bold, uneven triumph. For fans hunting the best Stephen King adaptations 2025, it’s essential viewing—gory, emotionally raw, and far more ambitious than the films’ balloon-popping scares. Spoiler-free: Welcome to Derry doesn’t just fill in the blanks; it redraws the map of King’s universe, proving the clown’s shadow stretches long and dark.
The Setup IT: Welcome to Derry’s – Bloody Roots in the Shadow of the Cold War
Set in 1962, IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 cracks open the interstitial chapters from King’s 1986 novel, those haunting vignettes of Derry’s cyclical violence that frame the Losers’ Club saga. The town isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a living entity, pulsing with ancient malice tied to the entity known as It (or Pennywise). We arrive via the Hanlon family: Air Force Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), a decorated Black pilot fresh from Korea, relocates his wife Charlotte (Taylour Paige) and 12-year-old son Will (Blake Cameron James) to Derry for a fresh start. But as local kids vanish and whispers of a “haunted” paper mill echo, the Hanlons stumble into the web of It’s predations.
Co-created by Muschietti, his producer sister Barbara, and writer Jason Fuchs (who pens the pilot), the series weaves supernatural horror with the era’s socio-political tensions: Civil rights unrest, nuclear paranoia, and small-town bigotry. A secret military op on Derry’s outskirts—led by the steely General Shaw (James Remar)—experiments with Cold War tech that eerily mirrors It’s otherworldly influence, blurring sci-fi and eldritch lines. Young Lilly (Clara Stack), a traumatized girl from Derry’s underclass, forms the kid core, rallying misfits against the encroaching evil. Adults like the enigmatic Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk, channeling The Shining‘s shine with quiet menace) add connective tissue to King’s multiverse.
As IGN’s Welcome to Derry season premiere review notes, the ’60s shift from the book’s 1930s feels “dramatically fertile,” infusing racial dynamics absent in the films. It’s no accident: The Hanlons’ arrival amid segregation-era slights heightens the stakes, making Derry’s rot feel personal and immediate. For a deeper dive into King’s Derry mythology, our internal guide to Stephen King horror timelines maps how Welcome to Derry slots in seamlessly.
IT: Welcome to Derry Performances – A Stellar Ensemble Unearths Derry’s Human Horrors
HBO’s prestige pedigree shines brightest in the casting—a diverse, powerhouse lineup that grounds the supernatural in raw humanity. Jovan Adepo anchors as Leroy, his stoic facade cracking under racial microaggressions and paternal fears; it’s a career-best turn, evoking Denzel Washington’s intensity in quieter beats. Taylour Paige’s Charlotte is a revelation: Warm yet fierce, she navigates housewife drudgery and maternal instincts with a grit that rivals Frances McDormand’s Nomadland vulnerability. Their chemistry pulses with unspoken love, making family scenes as heartbreaking as any clown encounter.
Among the kids, Clara Stack’s Lilly steals hearts and scenes—a wide-eyed firecracker scarred by loss, her desperation to protect her friends mirrors the adult Losers’ future bonds. Blake Cameron James imbues Will with wide-eyed curiosity that curdles into terror, while the ensemble of young Derry outcasts (including a budding Richie-like wiseass) captures that pre-teen camaraderie King nails so well. Chris Chalk’s Hallorann is a masterstroke, his “shine” flickering like a warning beacon, linking to Kubrick’s The Shining without overplaying it. Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise lurks in shadows for much of the season (a deliberate tease), but when he emerges, it’s with a feral glee that eclipses the films’ balloon antics.
Critics rave: Variety’s IT: Welcome to Derry review praises the “emotional depth and depictions of fright,” spotlighting Stack’s standout work. Even amid uneven pacing, these performances elevate Welcome to Derry beyond jump-scare schlock. As one X reactor tweeted after Episode 5, “Pennywise appears in the flesh… a familiar face appears from the dead” [post:4], capturing the cast’s ability to twist nostalgia into nightmare. For more on Adepo’s rising star, check our internal profile of Jovan Adepo’s 2025 breakout roles.
IT: Welcome to Derry Plot and Pacing:- Ambitious Lore-Building with Twists That Bite
Welcome to Derry thrives on King’s untapped novel meat—the Derry history interludes that hint at It’s 27-year cycle of feasts. Episodes unfold like a slow-burn mosaic: Early ones establish the Hanlons’ uneasy assimilation, intercut with flashbacks to the 1930s Black Spot massacre (a racially charged tragedy from the book). As kids vanish, the narrative converges on 29 Neibolt Street—the iconic haunted house—unveiling It’s origins as an extraterrestrial parasite feeding on fear. Subplots weave military experiments (think MKUltra meets Lovecraft) with tribal “Keepers” guarding against the entity, adding layers of conspiracy and folklore.
The highs are stratospheric: Episode 5 (“29 Neibolt Street”) detonates with a Pennywise reveal that’s “bloody great horror,” per Reddit buzz , blending body horror and psychological dread in sequences that outdo the films’ Red Balloon terror. Twists—like a mid-season shocker tying Hallorann to the Losers—reward book fans without alienating newcomers. Yet, pacing stumbles: The three-season arc (Season 2 eyes 1935, Season 3 the 1908 arrival) leaves Season 1 feeling like setup, with exposition-heavy middles dragging amid familiar “missing kid” beats reminiscent of It: Chapter One.
Rotten Tomatoes’ IT: Welcome to Derry first reviews hail it as a “total monster mash with plenty of Easter eggs,” but note the “clear three-season plan” as a downside. IndieWire critiques its “tacky and sour” filler , while Forbes calls it “one of the best Stephen King adaptations” for balancing sci-fi and supernatural . X reactions echo the split: Episode 5’s Neibolt delve has fans gushing—”The It Spinoff Is Becoming A Bleak, Deromanticized Stranger Things” [post:8]—but some lament Pennywise’s sparsity. Overall, the plot swings big, threading historic evils (discrimination, nukes) through It’s maw, proving Derry’s true monster is us. Our internal recap of Welcome to Derry key twists spoils nothing but teases the payoff.
IT: Welcome to Derry Production Values:- HBO’s Gloss Meets King’s Gritty Gore
Muschietti directs the first four episodes, infusing Welcome to Derry with his signature blend of wide-lens suburbia and claustrophobic dread. Cinematographer Daniel Vilar’s ’60s palette—mustard tones, flickering fluorescents—evokes Mad Men‘s unease, while production design nails Derry’s facade: Crumbling mills, segregated diners, and Neibolt’s rotting grandeur. VFX elevate the horror: It’s manifestations (leper skins, eyeless ghouls) pulse with practical effects, cranking violence beyond the films—”far more disturbing,” per Polygon .
Benjamin Wallfisch’s score returns from the movies, swelling synths into orchestral swells that underscore the cycle’s inevitability. Sound design is ASMR nightmare fuel: Distant clown giggles warp into feedback shrieks. As Heaven of Horror’s IT: Welcome to Derry review raves, it’s “amazing – and truly terrifying!” from Episode 1. Common Sense Media flags it 15+ for “gory horror, strong language” , a fair warning for the uninitiated. For tech breakdowns, our internal look at 2025 horror VFX trends spotlights how Welcome to Derry innovates.
IT: Welcome to Derry Critical and Fan Reception:- A Polarized Feast with 5.7M Viewers
Debuting to 5.7 million viewers in three days—HBO Max’s third-biggest premiere behind House of the Dragon and The Last of Us —Welcome to Derry boasts a Certified Fresh 82% on Rotten Tomatoes , with audiences at 88%. Critics praise its ambition: TV Fanatic calls it “creepy, emotionally charged, and rich with small-town darkness” , while Roger Ebert laments it as a “sideshow” paling to Stranger Things . Paste Magazine deems it a flat fall , but Discussing Film sees TV as a “great match” for King’s tangents .
X buzz tilts positive post-finale: Reactions to Episode 5’s “Pennywise in the flesh” flood timelines [post:5], with YouTubers like @TwoDadsReview hailing it a Thanksgiving binge [post:0]. Reddit gripes about CGI and pacing , but Tell-Tale TV’s review lauds Neibolt as a “gripping” pivot [post:6]. It’s divisive—like Derry itself—but the consensus? A worthy expansion for King completists.
| Aspect | Strengths | Weaknesses | Score (out of 10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performances | Adepo/Paige chemistry; Stack’s raw emotion | Some kid accents strain ’60s authenticity | 9 |
| Plot & Pacing | Lore-deep twists; socio-horror fusion | Setup-heavy; familiar missing-kid beats | 7.5 |
| Horror Elements | Gory innovations; Pennywise teases | Clown sparsity early on | 8.5 |
| Emotional Depth | Family/racial reckonings hit hard | Subplots occasionally underdeveloped | 8.5 |
| Production | Stunning ’60s design; Wallfisch score | Uneven CGI in surreal sequences | 9 |
IT: Welcome to Derry Final Verdict:- Derry’s Curse Is HBO’s Gain – Stream If You Dare
IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 isn’t perfect—its prequel ambitions occasionally bloat the terror, and Pennywise’s light touch frustrates purists. But in a year of King overload, it stands tall as a prestige horror triumph, weaving personal plagues with cosmic ones into a tapestry that’s as thoughtful as it is terrifying. Muschietti’s vision “opens a window” to multi-season potential , promising deeper dives into It’s ancient hungers. For franchise faithful, it’s cathartic; for newcomers, a gateway to King’s endless nightmare.
IT: Welcome to Derry – Bloody, bold, and brilliantly uneven—a feast for IT fans 2025. Binge on HBO Max now before the cycle turns. Which Derry demon haunts you most? Share below, and explore our internal roundup of top horror series 2025. #ITWelcomeToDerry #StephenKing #HBOMax #HorrorReview2025
The Review
IT: Welcome to Derry
Review Breakdown
- Story & Script
- Performances
- Direction
- Cinematography
