Movie Plot – Fear Street: A group of teenage friends accidentally stumble upon the ancient evil responsible for a series of brutal murders that have plagued their town for over 300 years. Welcome to Shadyside.

Fear Street: 1994

Director: Leigh Janiak
Writers: R.L. Stine, Kyle Killen, Phil Graziadei, Leigh Janiak
Cast: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Ashley Zukerman, Julia Rehwald, Fred Hechinger, Elizabeth Scopel

Don’t expect a scary slasher movie, but rather one with the same tone as Stranger Things. Please don’t shoot me for this comparison because Stranger Things remains much better than this trilogy. I will say that the tone sometimes feels light compared to other horror flicks, and I’m okay with that.

The horror scenes are actually very good. The opening scene and the climax are my favorites, but I enjoyed the rest as well. If the whole movie was as good as the horror, I would honestly consider giving this a 9/10, but it also has its flaws. There is a love story that stumbles a bit because it feels like their relationship is more important than other people’s lives.

Overall, this was my favorite one of the three because it sets up the entire trilogy. This is where the huge mystery begins and you’re trying to unfold it by watching the remaining two.

Fear Street: 1978

Director: Leigh Janiak
Writers: R.L. Stine, Zak Olkewicz, Phil Graziadei, Leigh Janiak
Cast: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Sadie Sink, Ted Sutherland, McCabe Slye, Emily Rudd

The ’70s camp theme didn’t deliver as much as I’d hoped, but it’s a lot of fun to see how the story fits together. Like its predecessor, this film struggles to feel like the decade it is based in. And that’s a shame because I can still see these films becoming cult classics if they manage to exploit the retro feel.

I preferred 1994, but Sadie Sink was a joy to watch on screen. She really carried the film. This one is a better film, though and is slightly more violent than its predecessor in terms of slasher content. It did remind me of a few classic slasher films.

The characters are far less interesting than in the first part, in part because the conflict between our main characters and the rival schools pretty much mimics the first part. Being a prequel, this comes at the expense of the stakes, as within the first 30 minutes, you know exactly who the killer is, who will live, and who will die. The editing and effects also feel more adult.

Fear Street: 1966

Director: Leigh Janiak
Writers: R.L. Stine, ate Trefryz, Phil Graziadei, Leigh Janiak
Cast: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Sadie Sink, Ted Sutherland, McCabe Slye, Emily Rudd

Fear Street: 1666 is a satisfying conclusion to the Netflix supernatural/slasher trilogy, the enjoyment of which is entirely subjective. As a film that ties up loose ends from its predecessors, 1666 does a pretty solid job. Director Leigh Janiak divides the film between the timelines of 1666 and 1994 and wraps up the main characters in a fun and normal way.

Indeed, the 1666 portion of the film is notable for its slow build, engaging aesthetic, and rather unexpected twist. By the time the film goes back to 1994, the novelty of the first film (which ran high on nostalgia) has kind of worn off. We return to the Shadyside mall again, in a predictable finale that comes across as a quick wrap-up exercise. It reminded me a bit of Home Alone, but in a mall. As for the kills, 1666 has a few exciting ones, but none particularly memorable.

Conclusion

Just enjoy this trilogy for what it is. It’s a simple but fun horror trilogy that is all tied together by the three films.

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