HBO Max returns to Stephen King’s cursed Maine town with a big-budget prequel to the blockbuster It films, IT: Welcome to Derry, but early reviews are sharply divided on whether this ‘prestige horror’ delivers the nightmare fuel fans crave or suffers from an overstuffed, unfocused narrative.

Set in 1962, 27 years before the Losers’ Club first battled Pennywise, “Welcome to Derry” attempts to weave the monster’s origin story with the turbulent, racially charged atmosphere of Cold War America.

Critics universally praise the show’s stunning production value and eerie atmosphere, with director Andy Muschietti (who helmed the It films) returning for the early episodes to marshal inventive, unrelenting scares.

The violence and gore are noted as being both clinical and grounding, underscoring that in Derry, no one is truly safe.

The Good: Scares, Social Themes, and Standout Performances

Inventive Horror: The series is lauded for delivering non-stop, unique visual horrors, rarely repeating a scare. One episode’s opening sequence, involving a lone boy hitchhiking with an unsettling family, is highlighted as a near-flawless horror set-piece and a masterclass in building dread.
Real-World Horror: Critics commend the show’s seamless integration of real-world horrors like institutional racism, xenophobia, and nuclear paranoia into the narrative, providing a compelling new layer for the entity known as “It” to exploit. The show’s focus on new and diverse characters, including the Hanlon family and expanded Indigenous representation, is considered a significant strength.
The Cast Floats: The ensemble cast, particularly the young actors and Chris Chalk’s standout portrayal of Dick Hallorann (a character from The Shining), are receiving high marks for their emotional depth and engaging performances. Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise is used sparingly but effectively, maintaining his ominous presence.

The Critique: Bloated Plot and Lost Dread

Fragmented Focus: The most frequent criticism is that the series attempts to juggle too many seemingly disconnected plotlines and an overstuffed ensemble cast (both adults and kids), resulting in an unfocused, fragmented narrative. Some reviewers argue this dilutes the pulsing sense of dread that defined the movies.
Shaky Writing: Though the aesthetic is impressive, some feel the dialogue is “clunky” and “uninspired,” and the show occasionally falls into the trap of over-explaining the monster’s lore, which can kill the momentum and mystery essential to King’s horror.
CGI Distractions: While the practical effects are praised, a few critics found some of the CG-heavy scares fall flat, looking “cartoonish” and deflating the tension built in the preceding scenes. The attempts at deeper thematic exploration are also, at times, described as “surface-level gestures.”

In Short: “Welcome to Derry” is a stylishly savage return to the source of the nightmare, successfully blending classic King lore with the socio-political anxieties of the 1960s.

For hardcore horror fans seeking creative carnage and a deep dive into the town’s cursed history, it’s a terrifying and worthy prequel.

However, viewers expecting the tightly knit focus of the original Losers’ Club dynamic may find the sprawling, two-track narrative and sheer volume of characters a little too chaotic for their taste.

The overall consensus remains positive, cementing the series as “prestige horror” that, while imperfect, is still utterly chilling. 🎈