It: Welcome to Derry might fall under the category of supernatural horror, but its first episode really succeeds in the realm of comedy. I wasn't expecting to leave Episode 1 of this prequel to the two It films with a smile, which came courtesy of Phil (Jack Molloy Legault), whose obsession with nipples had me rolling. Writer Jason Fuchs and director Andy Muschietti nicely capture the earthy humor of curious, hormonal kids and channel it through Phil. His comments on pointy brassieres and what men would do with their nipples in a world without women are genuinely funny. The humor, in fact, bursts forth from the screen with such energy that even the supernatural elements become amusing. A finger poking out of a bathtub, a spooky, animated lampshade, and a creepy, deformed flying baby don't fill you with terror. Rather, they elicit chuckles, and a delivery scene in a car near the beginning resembles a typical gross-out horror movie trick. In other words, there is nothing especially memorable or exceptional about the premiere, yet it's still sufficiently pleasing.
The real source of horror in the It franchise is childhood trauma, and the first episode almost immediately introduces us to its socially awkward, mentally disturbed kids. There is Matty (Miles Ekhardt), who struggles with friendships and is rejected by a girl he tries to kiss. Matty's mother invites Phil and Teddy (Mikkal Karim-Fidler) to his birthday party by giving them candies. Teddy comes from a Jewish family, and his father, at the dinner table, tells him about Nazi atrocities. He also throws Teddy's comic book and orders him to leave the world of fantasy. His elder brother, meanwhile, wishes he were not related to him. Then there is Lilly (Clara Stack), also known as Loony Lilly, who feels guilty about her father's demise. Her mother appears emotionally distant, and Lilly's only close friend seems to be drifting away to spend time with the more popular kids. Phil, Teddy, and Lilly feel guilty about letting Matty down with their decisions and mistakes, and the monster exploits their guilt, using it as a weapon. I liked that moment in the movie theater where the light from the screen revealed Lilly, Phil, and Teddy weeping. Welcome to Derry also points its fingers in the direction of racism, as is evident in the scene where a White character refuses to salute Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), a Black man. Leroy is attacked by men in masks. Who are they? And what's the deal with that Special Projects? Is there some weird scientific experiment going on inside the military base? The vibe definitely is very Stranger Things-esque. However, what the show does with all these elements — and how it all pans out — is something only time will tell. For now, I just hope the ending doesn't turn out to be a dream sequence or some other lame trick from the horror genre's bag of clichés.
Final Score- [6/10]