REVIEW - 'Fear Street' (3-Movie Trilogy, 2022)

Netflix is now showing its trilogy of “Fear Street” movies again—for the second year—as Halloween inches closer. The series of three films (“Part One – 1994,” “Part Two – 1978,” and “Part Three – 1666”) was created in 2021. And while the films, based on novels by author R.L. Stine are geared toward a teen/YA audience, they are enjoyable productions adults can easily get into as well. The films center around a teenage girl, Deena (Kiana Madeira), her girlfriend Samantha (Olivia Scott Welch), and friends. They live in a town named ‘Shadyside’ which has long suffered a believed curse: random murders, poverty, and despair line the town’s past. However, throughout “Fear Street’s” run-time, Deena and her friends discover a secret that may explain the town’s long history of murder and tragedy. Unraveling this secret is the crux of the three films, and is both engaging and suspenseful.

First things first. I’ve said “Fear Street” is geared toward a YA audience—and it is. Teenagers are the focal point of this series, and parents and most adult figures are given even less to do than in films like “Twilight” or the “Divergent” series. However, some of the best cinema can come from teen focus, lest we need a re-schooling on this from legend John Hughes.

A Supernatural Series, but One That Grounds its Characters Realistically

But “Fear Street” deals with some heavy material. It covers a history of misfortune to follow its group of Shadysiders, and its treatment of its victims is super serious from the opening frame. Its beginning features a knife murder of a young teen (Maya Hawke) that is every bit as despairing as Drew Barrymore’s demise in Wes Craven’s “Scream.” Some other deaths will feature knives, axes, meat grinders, and straight razors. However it is important to note that gore is not the point of this trilogy. Be warned, though, that it can be a little difficult to take in at times.

What works about “Fear Street” is the way the first episode pulls you in, making you care about these characters. Its lead, Kiana Madeira, is very likable. “Part One’s” opening shows her struggling to give back a box of her ex’s stuff; and the film is slow to reveal that her ex is really Samantha Fraser, a girl, and not a boy as is expected. But “Fear Street” is an LGBTQ-themed film in the kindest way. Sam and Deena’s relationship is painted with love, normality, and the awkward teen fumbling that it deserves. We care about them immediately, which is important, as Deena’s love of Sam will soon become a needed focal point of the plot for the rest of the series.

Deena is joined by a host of other friends (some will make it and some will not, and we won’t venture into spoiler territory). However, her brother Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.), Kate (Julia Rehwald), and Simon (Fred Hechinger) are some of the strongest.

Bringing Author R.L. Stine’s Books to Vivid Life

So it needs to be said that “Fear Street” is a supernatural series. The whole thing centers on the legend of a witch named Sarah Fier. She supposedly possesses the residents of Shadyside to kill their own, making the town a feared and desperate place.

This is juxtaposed with they neighboring town of Sunnyvale—a 30 minute drive—which is full of beautiful homes, glorious streets, and promise. Author R.L. Stine and the series’ writers are clearly trying to say something about class struggle, ignorance, and stigma here. However, it’s in a way you can grasp, and doesn’t over-shine the plot. Some elements are tragic (at a vigil for a fallen Shadyside resident, a football jock taunts, “it’s not a tragedy when it happens every day”), while others are more subtle—even though the kids in Shadyside are treated with scorn and resentment by Sunnyvale throughout all three movies. Centering this whole series is Ashley Zuckerman, who plays Sunnyvale Sheriff Nick Goode (wink, wink), who disbelieves the talk of monsters and zombies Deena and her friends say are after them (they are), while holding a past of his own.

Also Read: Review: ‘Gonjiam Haunted Asylum’ Proves Fear is the Same in Any Language

The three parts of this series are all different, and tied together well by plot and writing. “Part One” is clearly embedded in the ‘90s, with teen dress, behavior, and music. The school halls are filmed darkly—not bright and full of promise as in so many teen comedies. Its characters dabble with drugs and fatalism.

‘Fear Street’ is a Well-Written, Highly Watchable Series

However “Part 2” shifts gears to 1978—taking place at a summer camp—and its set pieces are decade-specific and apropos. It follows the descent of young counselor Tommy Slater (McCabe Slye) into madness, who we’ve already seen from “Part One” is a legendary axe murderer in Shadyside’s past. However the material is handled in an empathetic way; Slater is not just a killer, but a victim. He was a good person with a nice girlfriend (Emily Rudd) before he turned. We’re to believe the witch turned him (I can’t really give away the ending, can I?). But the way he transitions from loved and respected counselor to a zombie-like menace is tragic. It’s one of the saddest occurrences in the three films. “Part 2” is the most nostalgic and eerie of the series, and its players tell it well.

“Part 3 – 1666” is an especially hard episode. It tells the story of Sarah Fier before she became a “witch” and is the series’ most horrific film. The previous movies, while dealing with the idea of witchcraft and bodily possessions—and undead, killer zombies—hit as suspenseful yet fictitious pieces. However, “Part 3” follows history. Its happenings, including religious superstition and a witch hunt, are the hardest to watch because this stuff actually happened (the Salem Witch Trials). Watching the superstition and horror of a town mob hunting a young girl thought to be a witch is especially harrowing. It makes you want to intervene to stop this madness—but you can’t; that’s the horror. That the characters in this movie are played by actors from the previous two films only adds to the horror, because we’ve grown to care for them.

A Very Binge-Worthy Six-Hour Production

The whole thing of course comes together, and “Part 3,” returning to 1994, has a great deal of steam left. It keeps audiences on their feet as the characters work to put an end to the Shadyside curse for good. The finale, centered at a shopping mall with connection to the town’s history, is suspenseful and filmed well. You want these kids to survive, even more so as they discover the curse was not their fault—as Sunnyvale would have them believe—but a making of occult design. The villain they fight can’t be given away here; the uncovering of its secret is the ultimate goal of the two previous films, and believe me—its reveal is that good. The kids fight the good fight; it’s frightening and exciting at the same time, while offering absolution for all involved.

“Fear Street” is a great series. Yes, it’s geared toward the YA audience, but also yes, adults can love it too. I’ve watched it twice (once last year, once this year), and it might just become a Halloween tradition. It features likable characters you’ll root for, and deeper emotion than expected for a trilogy involving occultism, zombies, and witches. It covers deep themes, but handles them in a way devoid of preaching or moralizing. But under it all, it’s just a scary good time. Watching these kids solve “Fear Street’s” mystery is fun and involving. If you’re looking for some horror to watch this Halloween, give “Fear Street” a try. It grips you immediately, leading to a binge-worthy six hours you’ll miss when it’s over.