IT: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

IT: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Even Stranger Things.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 6, 2026

A group of social misfit kids bands together to fight a mysterious supernatural entity after the disappearance of another kid. Sound familiar? With Arrow's release of Stranger Things: The Complete Series relatively imminent as this review is being written, it may soon be some kind of home theater party game to start listing all of the tethers between that Netflix series and this HBO one, as they are undeniable, and in fact Stranger Things' creators the Duffer Brothers haven't been shy at all about overtly mentioning those connections, as evidenced by this interview, among many others. That said, this series' related creatives, Andy and Barbara Muschietti (along with Jason Fuchs), probably couldn't worry too much about the similarities, since they had their own mountains to climb (and/or sewers to descend into) in providing a prequel to It and It: Chapter Two, in this case a story set largely in and around 1962, when even killer clowns may have had to take a back seat to more pressing fears like impending nuclear holocaust or (heaven forfend) integration.

It: Welcome to Derry follows in a rather interesting tradition of small screen series providing back stories for iconic horror franchises, in much the same way, say, Hannibal presaged The Silence of the Lambs and/or Manhunter, or Bates Motel presaged Psycho. The Muschiettis had already "remade" Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) in some significant ways in the two above referenced feature films, and per some of the supplements in this set had obviously also already been thinking about "expanding" the franchise both temporally and contextually within the larger Stephen King universe (interestingly itself the "subject" of another "backstory" series, Castle Rock). There's therefore an undeniably novelistic approach this series takes, where Pennywise, at least in his/its (emphasis on that latter pronoun) clown incarnation, isn't that much of a "presence" until somewhat later in the story.

Instead the opening episode offers a gaggle of kids in Derry, where bad things have been happening evidently for centuries. Without posting any outright spoilers, suffice it to say that bad things definitely happen to most of that aforementioned gaggle of kids, in carnage that may bring about memories of the warning issued with regard to another HBO series, Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season (and, frankly, many subsequent seasons), that viewers shouldn't get too attached to what may be mistakenly perceived as major recurring characters. One way or the other, an early (non clown) manifestation of It provides the series with an unforgettable and shockingly disturbing visual, even aside and apart from any havoc it (and/or It) may wreak.

The first episode also introduces a bunch of characters who do manage to make it through (at least for a little while), with an emphasis on newly arrived Air Force Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), along with his wife Charlotte (Taylour Paige) and son Will (Blake Cameron James). The Hanlons are black, arriving in ultra white Derry at a perilous moment fraught with racial tensions, though Hanlon's military career might seem to provide a bit of a buffer, which of course it really doesn't. Those simmering (and at times actually boiling over) racial tensions both figuratively and literally feed into the subtext that It is indeed "hungry" for malevolence, and whites harassing blacks will do just fine, thank you. There is arguably an unexpectedly strong thread of white supremacy running through Derry's ranks (both military and civilian) which plays out throughout the first season, including a major subplot involving another black resident named Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), who is unfairly accused of being behind some of the first murders in the show.

All of this is to say if "It" is an undeniable presence almost from the get go in this effort, Pennywise actually doesn't really enter the fray until well past the halfway point of the first season. That in and of itself may indicate the many strands of narrative the show attempts to weave together to achieve that aforementioned novelistic aspect. That aspect also extends (as also alluded to above) outward from It itself to other nooks and crannies of King's oeuvre, including a featured role in this tale for the character of Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), as well as developing what might be called ancestral connections to many of the characters featured in the two big screen films. Speaking of ancestral connections, one of the really interesting things the first season does is to expand the role of Derry's indigenous peoples, and tribe member Rose (Kimberly Norris Guerrero) may be a fount of the wisdom of the elders, but she doesn't suffer fools (or It) gladly in 1962.

What's interesting about this first season is that it actually has a beginning, middle and end, and seems to wrap up its "origin" tale, while also developing the idea of It and/or Pennywise as a transdimensional and transtemporal being who must be able to be resurrected somehow considering the fact that at least unofficial announcements of a second season have been made.

IT: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It: Welcome to Derry is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of HBO and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. The IMDb lists the Arri Alexa Mini LF and a 4K DI as the relevant data points. While I'll cut to the chase and recommend those with the appropriate equipment to opt for HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season 4K release for reasons cited in that review, this is another knockout 1080 presentation on its own merits from HBO and Warner Brothers. Fine detail is continually expressive on virtually all of the practical sets and costumes, and even things like the pastiness of Pennywise's white face makeup. Commendably the CGI also tends to look great, and some of the nicely interwoven material blending CGI with practical sets is rather impressive, to the point that some watching the behind the scenes featurettes accompanying all of the episodes might be surprised that some sequences even used computer VFX. The palette benefits immensely from a number of evocative lighting and grading choices that vary from ice cool blues to warm sunny yellows. If the 4K UHD's Dolby Vision and HDR grades do provide some extra nuance and shadow definition, this 1080 SDR version is quite impressive.

IT: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

It: Welcome to Derry features a wonderfully (if disturbingly a lot of the time) immersive Dolby Atmos track that provides one of the early startle effects in a scene which won't be completely spoiled here, other than to say it features the first frightening emanation of It, an emanation which more less explodes and flies overhead, with appropriate channelization throughout the Atmos speakers and surround channels. That same overhead activity is also a major component of the actual climax of the first episode, which takes place in a movie theater. But throughout the series, there are numerous sequences that offer almost a baroque sound design with ambient environmental effects, other weird "supernatural" sound effects, and scoring basically enveloping the listener with a barrage of activity. Even quieter moments like some home material with the Hanlons provide good spaciousness and directionality. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

IT: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All three discs have Inside Derry featurettes documenting some really interesting behind the scenes information on each episode.

Disc One

• Inside Derry Extended - Episode 101 (HD; 10:21)


• Inside Derry - Episode 102 (HD; 5:39)


• Inside Derry - Episode 103 (HD; 6:21)

Disc Two

• Inside Derry - Episode 104 (HD; 6:12)


• Inside Derry Extended - Episode 105 (HD; 9:43)


• Inside Derry - Episode 106 (HD; 6:02)

Disc Three

• Inside Derry - Episode 107 (HD; 5:04)


• Inside Derry Extended - Episode 108 (HD; 12:36)


• Welcome to Derry (HD; 5:44) is an overview with some fun behind the scenes footage.


• Becoming Pennywise (HD; 3:11) documents both the acting and makeup sides of the transformation.


• Fear the Other (HD; 9:30) examines the human element of the horror in Derry.

The keepcase sleeve has an inner print with episode summaries and packaging also features a slipcover.

IT: Welcome to Derry: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It might be jokingly offered that considering the "recurrence" of It / Pennywise as documented in the series and prior films, the franchise might have been subtitled 27 Years Later. There's a lot going on in this first season (my comments above haven't even addressed an almost Freudian subplot involving the real life clown subsumed by It to become Pennywise, and that character's daughter, among other sidebars), but the writing is often quite sharp and even provocative, and the production design is pretty much flawless in all of the time periods depicted. Technical merits are solid and while not numerous, the supplements are enjoyable. Recommended.