Fear Street Part Two: 1978
2021
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Jul 2, 2021 · Netflix undoubtedly took to the series for its “Stranger Things”-like pedigree—as growing teens try to solve deadly mysteries that the adults can’t handle, all in a dreamy haze of nostalgia—but “Fear Street Part One: 1994” is more than its influences or the algorithm it so neatly fits into.
Fear Street Part One: 1994 kicks off the trilogy in promising fashion, honoring the source material with plenty of retro slasher appeal. Read Critics Reviews.
- (118)
- Leigh Janiak
- R
- Kiana Madeira
- The first entry in Netflix's new horror trilogy based on R.L. Stine's YA book series delivers.
- The Best Horror Movies on Netflix
- Verdict
By Kristy Puchko
Updated: Jul 16, 2021 9:50 pm
Posted: Jun 30, 2021 4:00 pm
Fear Street Part 1: 1994 debuts on Netflix on July 2, 2021.
For generations of fans, Fear Street was not just a series of frightening books targeted at teens. It was a passcode, a way of telling others that you were part of the club that valued being scared. Tucked into bed, under a blanket, flashlight poised, you would read into the night, incapable of stopping at a cliffhanger, barreling through one twisted chapter after another until you finished the book or your mom came in to wake you for school. For decades, R.L. Stine captured the fearful imaginations of countless kids. Now, his dark tales have inspired a horror film series made just for us. And it’s scary how damn good the first film in this Fear Street trilogy is.
The first of three films releasing weekly on Netflix, Fear Street Part 1: 1994 introduces the world of Shadyside, a rundown American town, plagued by drugs, poverty, and so many bloody murders that it’s also known as “Killer Capital USA.” Every few years, another spree killer emerges to slay their neighbors, before dying violently themselves. Local legend claims Shadyside is cursed by a one-handed witch named Sarah Fier. 300 years since she was hanged for her wickedness, they believe she still possesses the townsfolk to such heinous homicidal ends. But even after some of their classmates are killed in a mall massacre, Deena (Kiana Madeira) and her Shadyside High friends have more pressing concerns, like how to stick it to their rival Sunnyvale football team and how to cope with a recent break-up.
Through all this frightening fun, Janiak’s cast is incredible. Madeira proves a sensational leading lady, balancing the badass vibes of Alien-era Sigourney Weaver with a suitably angsty scowl, and trembling inner tenderness. Olivia Scott Welch is her stellar scene partner, delivering a heady blend of passion and pain that makes her performance feel like an Olivia Rodrigo song.
Benjamin Flores lends solid support as Deena’s chatroom-obsessed conspiracy theorist little brother, while Fred Hechinger brings laughs as a shrewd update of the John Hughes-styled weirdo-bestie. Stranger Things’ Maya Hawke offers her unique style of crackling chemistry, while Julia Rehwald charges a path ferocious, funny, and a bit risqué. All together, they make for a crew you don’t want to see cut down. Sorry to say, Fear Street won’t play nice.
A Fear Street movie didn’t need to be this good. Let’s be frank: director Leigh Janiak and company could have cobbled together a rehash of one of Stine’s plotlines that boasts some sexy slasher fun slathered in nostalgia. That would have been fine, popcorn-worthy entertainment. But Janiak went above and beyond, using Stine’s books as a guide to pen...
FEAR STREET PART ONE: 1994 plays on horror tropes and high school angst, all while kicking off an exciting new trilogy. Full Review | Oct 9, 2021
Its first instalment, set in 1994, is a super-charged throwback, laced with giddy memories of childhood sleepovers, trembling hands holding flashlights up to faces, and creaky, old urban legends...
- Clarisse Loughrey
- 3 min
Jun 30, 2021 · Fear Street Part 1: 1994 plays it relatively straight with its source material’s tone and mood, honoring the delicate balance between horror and humor that continues to draw generations...
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Jun 30, 2021 · ‘Fear Street Part 1: 1994’ Review: Netflix Crosses ‘Stranger Things’ With R.L. Stine in Hokey Horror Trilogy Reviewed online, June 23, 2021. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 106 MIN.
