Netflix’s ‘Fear Street’ Trilogy: A Review

Yesterday, I binge-watched all three parts to Netflix’s “Fear Street” trilogy, directed by Leigh Janiak and based on the novels by R.L. Stine from the 90’s. I have to say, going in, I was a bit skeptical, but the more the trilogy progressed, the more hooked I became.

Part One: 1994

The first installment, taking place in 1994, starts off strong with a gruesome murder at a shopping mall in the fictional town of Shadyside, followed by an unexpected reveal. From there, we are given a bit of exposition about the town, believed to be cursed by a witch named Sarah Fier.

From there, we are introduced to our brilliantly-casted protagonists who we will continue to follow and get to know throughout the trilogy. Deena Johnson (Kiana Madeira) is a student at Shadyside High School and has just gone through a breakup with her girlfriend Sam, meanwhile her younger brother Josh (Benjamin Flores, Jr.) spends his time chatting on early-90’s internet about the cursed history of the town. We then meet Deena’s friends, drug dealers Simon and Kate, followed by Sam. A climactic series of events leads to the teens being mercilessly pursued by a group of undead beings, ultimately leading them to the house of the sole survivor of previous events, C. Berman (played by the iconic Gillian Jacobs). From there, the audience is setup for Part Two.

1994, with it’s accurate display of scenery and technology, amazing soundtrack, and pop culture references truly captures the quintessential essence of the 90’s, which envoked a great deal of nostalgia from me on a personal level. An excellent setup and introduction to the characters as well.

Part Two: 1978

In the series’ second installment, we flash back to the gruesome murders at a Shadyside summer camp, called Camp Nightwing, in the year 1978. Events strikingly similar to the ones in the first film take place, though this time, we are given more of a backstory through Ziggy Berman (Sadie Sink of Stranger Things).

I definitely have a soft spot for this middle installment, with its obvious references to some of my absolute favorite slasher films (Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp) as well as it’s unapologetic gore also reminiscent of such flicks. 1978, while it was more of the same, and almost entirely a build-up for the third film, was very cleverly executed.

Part Three: 1666

Here, through the eyes of recurring protagonist Deena, we see life through the eyes of the prolific Sarah Fier in the mid-1600’s. All of the characters in this installment are played by familiar faces from the past two films, which I thought was great. Ultimately, the unexpected twist-ending to the flashback leads us back to good old ‘94, where our main characters discover the truth and an all-out frenzy ensues to break the dreaded curse that was placed on the town all those years ago.

1666 was eerie and gruesome in its own right, reminding me of movies such as The Crucible and The VVitch, and a perfect surprise conclusion to the story, followed by a kick-ass ending.

The Takeaway:

I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy. I definitely think that the second and third installments are stronger than the first, which was only necessary to introduce us to our characters and the events that take place throughout the other two.

I highly recommend it, and dare you to not get hooked!

A message from the author:

Hey there! I hope you enjoyed what I’ve written. Any likes and shares are greatly appreciated. Also, if you feel so inclined, tips are always great as well! Thanks for taking the time to read!

Regards,

Brett Rummel