Fear Street Trilogy review

In a departure from the usual Netflix strategy of releasing everything at once for binge-watching pleasure, the trilogy of Fear Street films from writer/director Leigh Janiak have released at weekly intervals. An homage to different eras of horror, each film stands on its own with something for all kinds of horror fans, as well as having an interlinking story spanning decades of crime sprees and mysteries in the town of Shadyside.

1994

Based in the “Fear Street” world crafted by R.L. Stine, a book series that has been ongoing for decades, our trilogy opens with Part 1: 1994 in which we are introduced to the town of Shadyside, known as the “murder capital of the United States” – it’s a place where nothing ever seems to go right. In fact, our first look at the infamous town is with another Shadysider going mad and turning a quiet night at the mall into a blood-soaked murder spree. Is it a coincidence, or is there something shady going on in Shadyside?

Our main character, highschooler Deena Johnson (Kiana Madeira), has enough on her plate after a recent break-up to worry about the Shadyside curse, while her brother Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr) spends his time on internet forums digging into conspiracy theories about the town. But, after a candlelit vigil held in the peaceful, prosperous neighbouring town of Sunnyvale goes sour, Deena and Josh find out that the Shadyside curse is very real, and about to get very personal.

Taking inspiration from ‘90s slasher movies like Scream while dialling up the nostalgia factor a la Stranger Things, Fear Street 1994 is a great introduction to the trilogy and hits all the right notes. Knife-cutting tension, jump scares and memorable, gory kills abound.

Elevating itself above typical teen slashers of the decade, Fear Street 1994 does a surprising amount of character development as well, making the cast more than one-dimensional cannon fodder. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on your viewpoint, as the characters you’re now invested in get put through the (possibly literal) meatgrinder.

If I have to dock any points, it’s that there are some serious anachronistic elements that, while not glaringly obvious, can be a little jarring when you pick them up, especially if you’re a typical ‘90s kid and are very familiar with the era. Nit-picking aside, personally I thought 1994 did well to merge the supernatural into the slasher, but purists of the genre may disagree.

1978

After a cliffhanger ending that you knew was coming, Part 2 of the Fear Street trilogy, 1978, goes even further down the nostalgia rabbit hole with a trip to summer camp. Segueing between the two films, Deena and Josh are looking for answers, which come in the form of a survivor of another Shadyside massacre; one that took place at Camp Nightwing decades earlier.

While 1978 is driven by the same forces at work from 1994, it’s far more focused on being the ultimate summer camp slasher film, drawing heavy inspiration from genre classics such as Friday the 13th. Dialling back on the character development in favour of a higher body count and countless cliches, I didn’t find 1978 to be as strong a film as its predecessor.

On the one hand, you’re advancing the plot groundwork laid out in 1994, diving into the history of the town and explaining what the hell is going on. On the other hand, you’re playing at being a campy (ah ha ha) horror film with a single-minded axe-wielding killer mowing down countless teens. It’s an awkward position to be in and 1978 doesn’t quite pull it off. In a way, it’s almost stronger as a stand-alone film.

1666

Rounding out the trilogy is Fear Street 1666, where we finally uncover the mystery of how Shadyside came to be cursed. At first glance, fans of The VVitch will be hyped, as 1666 takes us back to the superstitious settler past of the town. Unfortunately, 1666 doesn’t lean as hard into the highly-strung tension of its inspiration, though it does hit some of the same beats. Instead, we get a pretty straightforward history lesson, with a central romance and some gruesome consequences.

What 1666 does do is make the origin story of the big bad a major surprise, and bring the story back full circle to 1994 for a final showdown in the same mall where it all started. Of the three movies, 1666 makes the least sense if you haven’t seen the other two (there’s a reason there’s a recap at the beginning of each film), but it ties it all together in a very neat, very unexpected package.

Fear Street: The full series package

While each film has its pros and cons, as a whole the trilogy was highly enjoyable. Which film will be your favourite will depend on which genre of horror you like the most, but there’s going to be something for everyone across the three. Combined with great characters acted by a strong cast, a surprisingly engaging central plot that gets more interesting as the films progress, and the novel experience of spacing out viewing sessions, the Fear Street trilogy is definitely worth a watch.

Fear Street Trilogy review
Spanning decades of slasher films, the Fear Street Trilogy acts as an homage to all things horror, with memorable kills and plenty of scares. It’s all delivered neatly, with a surprisingly engaging story and unexpected depth.	7.5
Fear Street Trilogy was reviewed on netflix