Fear Street Part Three: 1666
2021
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Jul 8, 2021 · Leigh Janiak's “Fear Street Part Two: 1978” has more slasher thrills, but the fun of this series that makes it Halloween in July returns with an overly serious face, resembling something of a killjoy. The terror in “Fear Street Part Two: 1978” concerns the towering, axe-swinging menace seen in “1994,” who provided some of that movie ...
- The second entry in Netflix's R.L. Stine trilogy takes us to summer camp with a slasher.
- Netflix Spotlight: July 2021
- Verdict
By Kristy Puchko
Updated: Jul 16, 2021 9:51 pm
Posted: Jul 7, 2021 4:00 pm
Fear Street Part 2: 1978 debuts exclusively on Netflix on July 9.
This summer Netflix unfurls a frightfully ambitious horror trilogy with fresh scares and a new chapter released each week. Inspired by R.L. Stine’s popular YA novels, the Fear Street trilogy unravels the saga of the Shadyside curse, which births a horrific serial slaughterer every decade or so. Fear Street Part 1: 1994 kicked things off with a tale of teens chased down by a string of undead serial killers, believed to be doing the bidding of a wicked witch. Now, Fear Street Part 2: 1978 takes us back to a savage summer and the harrowed heroine who barely survived it.
As the “half-man” of the Fear Street trilogy, C. Berman (a haunted Gillian Jacobs) is defined by her role as scarred survivor, destined to mentor the next wave of victims. In Fear Street Part 1: 1994, it’s she who warns Deena (Kiana Madeira) that the witch isn’t done with Sam (Olivia Scott Welch). To save the girl she loves, Deena seeks out the reclusive Berman to hear the tale of the Camp Nightwing Massacre of ’78. Amid summer sun and a slamming ‘70s soundtrack, we meet two Berman sisters. The first is Ziggy (Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink), a redheaded problem child with a furious penchant for hellraising. Having riled the snotty Sunnyvale campers and the fed-up counselors, she’s on the brink of being kicked out of camp. Then, in swoops future sheriff, Nick Goode (Ted Sutherland), to her rescue. While this odd couple form an unlikely bond over a love of Stephen King, Ziggy’s older sister Cindy has bigger problems and a plotline of her own.
Life feels cheaper in this sequel, which is strange considering its plotlines are all about loyalty in the face of death. While warring sisters Ziggy and Cindy drive each other nuts, they are resolute in braving dark woods and mysterious caves to rescue each other from the merciless murderer. Ziggy’s path steers her into the arms of Nick, while Cindy’s sticks her with angry former-bestie Alice (a charmingly snarky Ryan Simpkins). Within this, the former find dizzying—though ill-timed—romance, while the latter confronts a friend betrayed. Through the Bermans’ stories, Janiak continues themes of teen love, scapegoating drugs, female bonding, and the toxic tensions between Shadyside and Sunnyvale. However, being a bridge between Parts 1 and 3, Part 2 stretches too thin to reach all its goals.
Befitting C. Berman’s role as mangled mentor to the trilogy’s heroine, much lore is dropped in this second chapter. However, all these exposition dumps leave the relationship arcs feeling cramped. Thus, the teen romance between Ziggy and Nick doesn’t hit as effectively as Deena and Sam’s did, deadening the impact of what should be big moments. Blame might also be laid on Sink and Sutherland, who don’t share much in the way of chemistry. Still, Sink is as compelling a leading lady as Rudd, both boasting an undeniable charisma that has you rooting for them from their first scream. Still, this film is most alive when trusting in these two to be fighters, not lovers. Their eyes aflame with purpose and fury, they are thrilling to follow, even when the path gets rocky.
Telling a story that spans 300 years over three films, Leigh Janiak and the writers have taken on a wildly daring quest. Perhaps, it’s understandable the middle bit gets a bit wonky, down to a misdirect that never really plays. The last film of the trilogy to be shot, Fear Street Part 2: 1978 feels rushed. Its script is jam-packed with plot points....
A smart and subversive twist on slasher horror, Fear Street Part II: 1978 shows that summer camp has never been scarier thanks to stellar performances from Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, and...
- (110)
- Leigh Janiak
- R
- Sadie Sink
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User Reviews. Review this title. 405 Reviews. Hide Spoilers. Sort by: Filter by Rating: 7/10. An Upgrade. taylamell 9 July 2021. This was so, so much better than Part One. There's one exposition scene that doesn't fit, but it's over almost as soon as it starts.
TOP CRITIC. Compared with 1994, in 1978, the kills were more shocking, the atmosphere more tense, the characters more believable and well-rounded, and the world-building more thoughtful. Full ...
Jul 7, 2021 · Netflix’s flashy RL Stine trilogy continues with a darker Friday the 13th-aping horror that brings more shocking gore and excellent performances. Benjamin Lee. Wed 7 Jul 2021 12.00 EDT. Last ...
Jul 7, 2021 · Film. Reviews. Jul 7, 2021 9:00am PT. ‘Fear Street Part 2: 1978’ Review: Netflix’s Horror Trilogy Goes Back in Time for a Wet Hot American Slasher. Though less compelling than the...
