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The premiere of Welcome to Derry over the coming days takes viewers back to 1962, as a fresh band of kids confronts an ancient, fear-eating jester. Considering the original It narrative centered significantly around teens in danger, it's no shock that this series continues a comparable path. But, Welcome to Derry ramps up the horror to a greater degree than the recent films, establishing its brutal atmosphere faster than viewers might anticipate.

An Chilling Beginning in a Doomed City

The series kicks off on a snowy January night in the haunted community of Derry, Maine, set in 1962. Following getting thrown out of a cinema for sneaking in and declining to go back home to his abusive parents, a pre-teen youth (Miles Ekhardt) holds onto his pacifier for comfort while thumbing a ride out of the city. When he's eventually offered a ride, the chilled boy agrees. It doesn't take long, though, for him to understand the scale of his error.

We will pause at this point to prevent revealing any elements from the installment. It is enough to say that Welcome to Derry wastes no time in demonstrating just how explicit and frightening the series will be, particularly regarding the brutality experienced by minors in the locale.

From start to finish, the series' first chapter demonstrates its creators aren't afraid to "push boundaries," to the extent that it probably should include a content advisory for those sensitive to aggression involving children; it's really that gruesome.

A New Take to Terror

Executive producer Jason Fuchs has previously likened Pennywise to the shark from Jaws, a creature revealed in brief looks that leads toward a major climax. In Welcome to Derry, though, the focus shifts toward more transforming horrors reminiscent of Stephen King's original novel. Thanks to the extended runtime and high-quality of an HBO production, the show is patient delving into these terrors rather than rushing to highlight Pennywise, leading to a more unsettling, heightened fright than the 2017 and 2019 films.

Is It Suitable?

Any viewer with even a passing familiarity of It should know what they're getting into when it involves violence against kids, but Welcome to Derry cranks the volume up to 11 when compared to the miniseries and including the movies. Considering this, it merits a PSA if those adaptations are where one draws the line. Nevertheless, It: Welcome to Derry is an superb show with a premiere episode that's a ideal viewing for the spooky time of year.

• Explicit violence against children
• Longer episode length for more profound fear building
• More shapeshifting horrors from the source novel
• Sets a more grim atmosphere than previous adaptations