Inspired by R.L Stine’s book series of the same name, the movie adaptation of Fear Street is a nostalgic trilogy for those who viewed it in the summer of 2021. In anticipation of the new season of Stranger Things, most sci-fi lovers turned to the trilogy as it featured the same aesthetics and actors of the hit Netflix show. Each addition to the series was only a few days apart, and the trilogy was released all within a year. The horror elements are considered to be dialed back compared to other major slasher films, as the trilogy serves as an introduction to the horror genre to younger audiences. Taking place from 1994, 1978, and 1666, the series goes backwards in time in order to gradually show what has happened before.

The town of Shadyside is considered to be a troubled community with the reputation of having serial killers every decade or so. Their budget is low and are known for their rancade behavior, which opposed their neighboring town of Sunnyvale. 

    Fear Street pays tribute to films like Scream, which share the theme of a masked killer in a silent yet shaken town, and after a mass killing in the local mall, the town groups together in order to honor those who passed away. Following Deena Johnson, a teenager who goes to the local high school in Shadyside, finds an altercation with her girlfriend, Sam, after a month of separation, which causes a rift between the two. After an argument insuses, and a debacle between both towns, Sam and Deena both find themselves encountering an old spirit after disrupting a grave sight of Sara Fear. 

    The tale of Sara Fear evolved throughout the trilogy, eventually going through decades to centuries before the waters see the origins of the mysterious figure. 

Spoiler Free Review

Fear Street’s goal is to be a subtle introduction to the horror genre to younger audiences, as mentioned before. The trilogy isn’t meant to hold the same shock factor and gorey visuals as a lot of famous slasher movies, making it more plot heavy than most horrors that tend to rely mostly on scares.

Part One serves as a prologue to the town of Shadyside, and allows viewers to understand the sketchy nature of the town. There are allusions to characters from the past that will make appearances in the later movies, and explains curses and the supernatural aspect of the town. With a run time of an hour and forty seven minutes, movie watchers are able to get a clear understanding of the supernatural aspects of the town which will lead into the next movie. This makes the first film slower in the terms of plot, but it picks up later on.

The movie is definitely something for those who wish to watch a horror series without the means of being too freaked out, despite its themes, most would deem the film a relatively tamed horror movie.

Trigger Warnings 

Minimal Gore, allusions to sexual content, and profanity.