Is it just me, or do Miles Ekhardt and Bill Skarsgård actually look alike? When I was watching the premiere episode of Welcome to Derry, I initially thought Ekhardt's Matty is Pennywise as a human kid. This is, after all, a prequel series, exploring the Dancing Clown's origin. Obviously, I was proven wrong in no time, but 29 Neibolt Street ends up connecting Pennywise and Matty. Oh, why be shy of spoilers? I am sure you must be reading this review after watching Episode 5. So let me make myself more straightforward: Matty takes Ronnie, Will, Rich, and Lilly inside the infamous sewer to rescue Phil, where they come across the dead bodies of Teddy, Phil, Susie, and... Matty! And then suddenly, "Matty" starts singing and reveals himself to be Pennywise! Yes, the clown finally appears on the screen, and the moment is...utterly underwhelming.
The creators were teasing this clown through red balloons and murky images, but when we finally see him here, we don't feel anything. Andy Muschietti probably took a page out of the Jaws playbook for teasing Pennywise. This approach, however, has not been working in the show's favor from the beginning. I have already talked about the "why" part. Basically, the main reason is that we already know what Pennywise looks like. On top of that, director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. doesn't know how to roll the drums to hype up a reveal. Nevertheless, the blame does not lie entirely with him. It should be shared among the filmmaking team, as no one succeeded in generating genuine anticipation, excitement, or a spooky sense of thrill around Pennywise. The creators of Welcome to Derry can learn a thing or two from Indian directors who make rousing masala movies.
There is one scene in Episode 5, though, that almost reaches dark, disturbing heights. It comes when Leroy is about to shoot his own kid. This wild suggestion, alas, is quickly undermined by a weak moment where Leroy accidentally kills Pauly. If your eyes are dry during such a tragic incident, that's because Welcome to Derry didn't spend enough time fleshing out the relationship between these BFFs. You were only served clichés. With three episodes remaining, I'm not sure how Welcome to Derry will shake off the listlessness that has finally risen from the screen like a group of rotting corpses. For now, one can confidently call 29 Neibolt Street the show's weakest episode yet. It's just...unstimulating.
Final Score- [3/10]