For this year’s 31 Nights of Horror Challenge, the Day 28 prompt is Stephen King. We watched the movie, IT: Welcome to Derry, episode 1 on HBO Max.

Storyline

Four months after a classmate vanishes, Teddy, Phil, Lilly and Ronnie investigate missing children and strange events in Derry. Major Leroy Hanlon faces a cold welcome at Derry Air Force Base.

Our Thoughts on IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 1

There are A LOT of Stephen King movies we could have choosen for this prompt but since the new IT series, Welcome to Derry was released this week we just had to include it. 

The first 10 minutes set the pace and were over the top and unlike anything ever seen in a Stephen King adaption before. All I can say is it felt raw….

The second and third acts were a little slower and that is why I gave it a bit of a lower rating. 

I would love to make this an every Sunday night family show affair. This episode had some good crumbs to set up future episodes, as well as some big twists to let you know you shouldn’t assume anything.

I like the kids story. It’s IT, so expected.

The adult military story could be great BUT please no corny fight scenes again. That was so unbelievable it almost took me out.

7 out of 10 stars

Trivia 

Lilly’s backstory regarding her father is a likely nod to the Stephen King short story The Mangler.

The turtle charm is a likely nod to the Dark Tower universe, also written by Stephen King (the turtle is a part of the IT novel by Stephen King also)

The title “The Pilot” has a double meaning, in that this is the first episode of the series — as all first episodes are referred to as pilots — and it alludes to Major Leroy Hanlon, himself an Air Force pilot.