It: Welcome to Derry is a horrifying return for Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Photo: HBO Max.
Pennywise the Dancing Clown has become one of the most recognisable figures in horror.
From the 90s until the late 2010s, Tim Curry’s portrayal of the character provided equal scares and laughs with his strange balance of terrifying imagery and campy antics.
However, since 2017, when he first donned the white makeup and bright orange wig in It: Chapter One, Bill Skarsgard has become completely intertwined with the freaky clown.
Eight years later, Skarsgard returns as Pennywise for the third time, this time to terrorise a new set of kids on the small screen.
It: Welcome to Derry, set 27 years before It: Chapter One, begins with Matty, a young boy who is looking to escape Derry.
He is picked up by a strange family, who promise to drive him out of the dreaded town. However, once he goes missing, several of his friends look to figure out what happened to him.
Meanwhile, the US military has formed a new base around Derry with the aim of locating some mysterious artefacts linked to a local Native American tribe.
Before continuing, it is worth noting that all that has been mentioned is limited to the events of the first episode for spoiler’s sake.
Leading into this show, I wasn’t all that curious about Pennywise and how he lived before the films.
With all that said, this show is bonkers and provided a good shot of adrenaline for TV and HBO to round out 2025.
It is terrifying, engaging and bloody entertaining.
The main cast of kids is just as intriguing as the Losers Club from the original films, each with a different personal struggle that Pennywise feeds on.
Lilly Bainbridge (Clara Stack), the closest friend of Matty, has had stints in and out of a mental health asylum and Marge (Matilda Lawler) is learning to navigate high school and what popularity means.
Will (Blake Cameron James) and Ronnie (Amanda Christine) both combat the struggles of being people of colour during the 1950s, and Rich (Arian S Cartaya) has long been considered an outsider.
The difference in motives each provides Pennywise ammunition, yet their combination provides a great core group to root for.
Meanwhile, the Military arc provides great insight into Pennywise’s past while also giving fun cameos and nods to other works written by Stephen King, the writer of the book on which the original films are based.
There are constant subtle messages about race and mental health, scattered throughout the show’s run. In some cases, it asks bluntly what is the bigger monster, the shape-shifting clown or humanity fuelled by hate and fear.
For six of the eight episodes I was locked in, even if what I was watching was borderline disturbed. Episode seven in particular has to be considered as one of the best episodes of TV in 2025.
The finale offered great twists that gave insight into the future of the show, which left me eager for more, not something I’d thought I’d say when jumping into this show two months ago.
If there were minor gripes to be had about the show, it’s that the middle couple of episodes slowed the pace down quite a bit. It was needed for exposition, especially for what the military was doing, but it is noticeable.
Some of the CGI wasn’t fantastic in those slower episodes either, but the money was clearly saved for the opening and closing of the series. There were a few problems with some of the adult characters making dumb decisions and saying some head-scratching lines, but for the most part, it was excusable.
When push comes to shove, I really enjoyed my time with It: Welcome to Derry. I found myself singing along to the twisted intro every week and trying my best to not look away when things got tense.
It was a entertaining journey that showed Pennywise really is an incredible character who will scare generations to come.
It: Welcome to Derry is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Original Article published by Jarryd Rowley on Region Canberra.
