Minor Spoilers for the Fear Street films are below.
Summary
In 2021,Netflixbrought a trilogy of movies to life based on author R.L. Stine’sFear Streetnovels. The three films tell interconnected stories about the town of Shadyside that span centuries, covering 1994, 1978, and 1666. Installments of the trilogy were released each week, almost like a miniseries. They brought the terrifying tales to audiences eager to see an author known for horror geared toward younger audiences stepping into more mature content.
A new entry into the franchise,Fear Street: Prom Queen,was recently released on Netflix. It tells another Shadyside story, this time set in 1988. It is a standalone film instead of being part of a trilogy, but it still fleshes out more of the town’s dark history. The original trilogy ofFear Streetmovies was well regarded by critics, earning the series some notoriety from horror fans despite minor problems. Unfortunately,Prom Queentakes the franchise in the wrong direction. Critics and audiences are both displeased with what the follow-up delivers, squandering the promise it built. Still, theFear Streetseries could shine with future installments by focusing on key changes to fix its mistakes.
Why The OriginalFear StreetTrilogy Worked
Rather than making one movie,Fear Streetcommitted to threeout of the gate, which helps to lay out the ambitious connections for the series.Fear Street Part One: 1994introduces audiences to the curse that has been plaguing the town of Shadyside for centuries, embracing a retro style that sets the tone with gory kills and an enticing soundtrack, which many point to enjoying.Fear Street Part Two: 1978continued the trend, showing an earlier generation in aFriday the 13th-inspired summer camp tale. It continued to offer what audiences enjoyed, with era-appropriate music and aesthetics.
The third installment,Fear Street Part Three: 1666, took the most significant leap in time. It also revealed the origins of Shadyside’s curse, ultimately linking the prior two films.Part Threeis also regarded as thebestFear Streetinstallment, ending the R.L. Stine adaptation on a high note that retroactively brought audiences into the town’s peril.The links between films work so well thanks to families connected over generations,with characters spanning decades and some marking a profound lore that envelops them all. Furthermore, all three films were directed by the same person, marking a clear intent from the start.
Beyond the connected storytelling,theFear Streetmovies offered genuine scares and subversive takes on well-known tropes.While the series wasn’t perfect, the trilogy’s unique approach, gory kills, and connected story were a hit with fans, who hoped for another installment that could improve some of their minor gripes. However, after a four-year wait, audiences were treated toFear Street: Prom Queen, which has left many unhappy.
Fear Street: Prom QueenMade All The Wrong Moves
Fear Street: Prom Queenis the worstentry in the franchise, and it isn’t even close. The movie offers up more gory kills with another slasher story that sees Prom Queen candidates being killed off one by one. However, it didn’t learn from the mistakes made in early films.Prom Queencomes from a new director and writer, with a story that embraces the 1980s. However, rather than helping form another Shadyside story, the film falls completely flat, lacking in scares and suspense. Even the killer’s reveal at the end offers zero shock factor, playing into the obvious and leaving much to be desired.Fear Street: Prom Queenlacked the same connective tissue that helped the world set up in the other films thrive.
Prom Queenhad all the promise of continuing theFear Streetfranchise with another scary installment. Still,the story was riddled with cliché elements, playing like a lackluster 80s slasher rather than one that embraces its nostalgic setting to proper effect.The three originalFear Streetmovies chose to subvert tropes and embrace their eras to full effect thematically and visually. On the other hand,Prom Queenfeels like a bad 80s movie that would have fallen into obscurity. Nothing sets it apart from the bland genre releases that plague fans.
TheFear StreetFranchise Could Be Great
TheFear Streetfranchise got offto a good start, promising unique genre filmmaking, butProm Queenmissed the mark despite having all the proper ingredients at its fingertips. Even the original films leaned too far into digital effects when it came to character deaths. Kate’s death by a bread slicer inFear Street Part One: 1994stands out as original, delivering a unique kill; however, it was still accomplished with VFX. Horror fans can be gore hounds, and slasher films likeFear Streetare rife with moments where practical effects could improve the distinct, bloody slaughter audiences get to see throughout the series.
TheFear Streetmovies could also thriveby leaning into more emotionally impactful elements, like Alice’s fate inFear Street Part II: 1978.She reunites and reconciles with her former best friend, right before being killed by a reanimated character. Beyond the moment being emotionally devastating, Alice and her friend have a clear connection dripping with subtext that viewers can delve into, even if certain factors are never spoken.Prom Queenembraces one-dimensional people and straightforward storytelling, which is disappointing given thatFear Streetoffers a deep lore that could have been further fleshed out.Complex characters and relationships could help the franchise avoid known pitfalls.
Shadyside and the curse it suffers is the perfect setup for continued horror mayhem in the franchise. If Netflix decides to continue the series afterProm Queen,Fear Streetneeds to embrace the elements that make it work. It needscreative storytelling that utilizes each era, well-constructed characters with deep connections, practical gore, and room for the lore to flourish.The series may also benefit from more seasoned directors, as the original trilogy andProm Queenwere both helmed by relative newcomers. If anotherFear Streetfilm does come to fruition, the franchise could become something great with a few minor changes.
