This horror slasher trilogy released on Netflix in the middle of 2021, as a three-part event, consisting of Fear Street Part 1: 1994, Fear Street Part 2: 1978 and Fear Street Part 3: 1666. The films are based on the book series by the legendary R.L. Stine, best known for writing the young adult horror book series, Goosebumps. The Fear Street trilogy of films released to many favorable reviews, and quickly became a beloved trilogy by fans of the genre. We would even go as far as to say that the Fear Street trilogy is the best horror trilogy of the past 30 years. That may be a very broad statement, but here are some of the reasons why we think the films are so good.
Here's How We Rank Each Fear Street Movie
The Compelling and Engaging Story
Fear Street's story had viewers hooked from the get-go, telling a story about Salem witches, a summer camp massacre, and a bunch of dead serial killers that rose from the grave to commit more mass murders. After theorizing that the unfortunate town of Shadyside has been plagued by a dark and terrifying curse for hundreds of years, a group of teenagers discovers that the curse is real when witnessing the effects first hand. When one of them is affected by this dreadful curse, the group must work together and stop it. Each installment in the trilogy follows this overall chronological story set in 1994, while at points, jumping back in time to 1978 and 1666 in the two sequels.
The plot of the three slasher films takes a lot of inspiration from iconic horror films from the past, with 1994 taking a lot of inspiration from '90s horror movies like Scream. 1978 was set in a summer camp, which fairly obviously draws a lot from Friday The 13th, and while 1666 isn't as obvious with its inspirations, we can clearly see many parallels from films like The VVitch. While the trilogy does have very similar plot beats, the story still manages to deliver a unique and fresh take on the horror genre, giving you another reason to revisit these slasher flicks.
Taking the Genre Back to its Roots
One reason the Fear Street films work so well, is because they take the genre back to its roots, while feeling nostalgically like great horror movies from the past, like Scream, Halloween and more recently, It Follows. The films still tell an original and fresh story, with an awesome cast of characters, and many memorable kills. The slasher genre hasn't been as big in the past few years, due to elevated horror currently taking over the genre. But, with slasher movies like Halloween (2018), Ti West's X and the Fear Street trilogy being commercially and critically successful, these films are all showcases on how taking the genre back to its terrifying roots, will produce a film with immaculate quality.
The Characters and Performances
The film garnered the majority of its praise for its great group of characters and the amazing performances from the cast. The standout performance of the films, was from Kiana Madeira as Deena, the film's leading lady, who delivers an emotional, honest, raw and spine-chilling performance, making audiences fall in love with the character the second she appears on-screen, and rooting for her by the end.
Sheriff Goode was perhaps the most intriguing character in the film, with his family being at the epicenter of all the attacks, leading to an engaging and intriguing character arc throughout the film. Ashley Zukerman delivers an exceptional performance, making audiences both love and hate the character. His powerful, timid, mysterious, and terrifying performance has us on the edge of our seats, both terrified of him and wanting to learn more and more about the character.
Benjamin Flores Jr. was a welcome addition to the films as well; starring as Josh, the school "geek", who theorized about the curse and found a passion for it. Josh is simply lovable in the trilogy as the comic relief, and with Benjamin's sweet, hilarious, emotional, and geeky performance, Josh will be the character you fall in love with most.
The Films' Many Inspirations
The Fear Street trilogy is a genuine love letter to the horror genre as a whole, with many Easter eggs, references, and plot devices that were very reminiscent of horror films from the past. The story draws plenty of elements from films like Friday the 13th, Scream, It Follows, and The VVitch. Even the Shadyside killers seem to have all been designed and inspired by iconic horror characters we all love, such as Jason Voorhees, Ghostface, Michael Myers, and even a slight reference to Megan Fox's character from Jennifer's Body. The trilogy beams with admiration for the genre, adding a nostalgic element to the films, which took an already interesting and entertaining trilogy, and elevated it to greatness.
Authentic Production Design
The production design in all three films transports the audience into that world, with its nostalgic pop culture references from the '90s, and the dull, haunting, and drab-looking 1666, making the world feel real and lived in. The soundtrack adds to the authenticity, being masterfully curated with songs ripped straight from the '70s and '90s, and adding haunting music that will send chills down your spine when we visit 1666. A great addition to the 1666 time period is how the whole cast takes on an Irish accent, which was historically accurate for the time, adding to the sense of realism. The trilogy does a masterful job at creating the world and its time periods, and they feel real and lived in, which creates a much more terrifying atmosphere for the viewers.
How the Trilogy Handles Sexuality
Horror films have rightfully had their fair share of criticism, with the majority of classic horror movies featuring sexism, racism, and not showing an overall real representation of the world. However, more recently, we have seen a growing number of horror films expertly handle such topics, with Fear Street being no exception. Fear Street is praised by the LGBTQ+ community for its accurate representation of a lesbian couple, instead of making the characters' story revolve around sexuality and gaining acceptance. Deena's relationship with her girlfriend, Sam, is built throughout the story. The twist in the film is brilliantly executed, with it bringing up a very important and poignant conversation around sexuality and acceptance, while still being heartbreaking and shocking.