A Trip Down Netflix's "Fear Street Part One: 1994"

Platform: Netflix

Release Date: July 2, 2021

Having grown up in the heyday of the Scholastic Book Fair and R.L. Stine's “Goosebumps” books, there was a strong injection of nostalgia when Netflix announced it would adapting his “Fear Street” series to film. While not familiar with this particular set of stories, the general awareness of Stine's approach to horror for a younger crowd was enough for a rising excitement. Not only did I enjoy the “Goosebumps” TV series, but also the two recent “Goosebumps” feature films, all of which targeted a younger audience. The “Fear Street” series, however, is geared towards a young adult (YA) audience, which opens the door for a more serious horror story when compared to the likes of a “Say Cheese and Die”. Even more exciting is the structure to which this series will be adapted, as a trilogy that traces a singular story back across three years: 1994, 1978, and 1666. Across the three years, we% will learn about the dark history of Shadyside and the origins of the murderous events that have fallen upon its townspeople, all beginning with "Fear Street Part One: 1994".

As indicated, the series takes place in the town of Shadyside, where a recent massacre at the local mall revives talks of the local legend that Sarah Fier, prior to her execution as a witch in 1666, cursed the town. While dealing with a recent breakup from her girlfriend Sam (Olivia Scott Welch), Deena Johnson (Kiana Madeira) unintentionally causes an accident which seems to awaken the town's dark spirits. As she, along with her brother Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.), best friends Kate and Simon (Julie Rehwald and Fred Hehinger), and Sam, fight to survive the dark spirits, they learn of Sam's connection to their dire circumstances. As they are stalked by the threee undead spirits, the bold teenagers concoct a risky plan to save Sam, all while the witch's legend remains a prominent backdrop.

Right off the bat, it was clear how much this movie harkened back to 90's slasher films, with an opening sequence seemingly an homage to Wes Craven's “Scream”. Even with its YA cast and audience, just as “Scream” and its predecessors did, the movie blended the fun slasher tones of the 90's so well that it took half the movie before it really hit that “oh yeah, this inspired by an R.L. Stine book”. It embellished its horror roots in such a way that it was shocking how graphic some of the kills were, even if some were shown in quick flashes. Though rated R, without the natural brutality that a slasher film brings with how its kills are presented, this could have easily been a hard PG-13 with everything else it had going on. Even being a teen story, there was only one quick sex-related plot point, drug content that was mostly implicit, and barely any harsh language. This helped keep the spirit of R.L. Stine's stories alive, while the rest of the movie pulled it into a more serious horror tone.

Again, inspired by 90's slashers, the entire cast filled the usual stereotypes of the hopeless romantic, the reedemable ex, the airhead, the badass, and the horror nerd (plus a little LGBTQ flair to bring it up to times). These characters bring the story to life with a balance of seriousness and humor that harkens back to the “overly brave and bold” teenage formula with their crazy ideas, Scooby-Doo like traps, and reckless plans. Horror movies, especially slashers, have the luxury of not having to adhere to much character development, but there was still a bit to found here, mostly with Sam and overcoming her urge to run when scared. Pushing 110 minutes, the movie paces itself well enough to make you care enough about some of the deaths, which is a credit to the actors' portrayals. The casting for this movie made me wonder, since we have mostly moved past the division between movie actors/TV actors, if we are now seeing a new division to include streaming actors. Three of five from the main cast could recently be seen across Netflix's “Trinkets” and “The Woman in the Window,” as well as Amazon's “Panic”. Even the dark spirits, which mostly served to drive the vehicle of the witch's curse, felt individualized enough to carve their own little corners of relevance.

Outside of keeping the movie feeling murderously fun, perhaps the biggest feat the movie had was to successfully build interest in its larger story of the Shadyside curse. Perhaps coming off a little too much like infomercials for the remaining films, the flashbacks and in-movie storytelling that traced the history of the town did a fantastic job of piquing interest. The pile of murderers that have engrossed the town all have their own distinct feel and most seem worthy of having their own story adapted. There is some concern, though, that the history was made too rich and these three movies will not be able to successfully encompass all of the historical plot points that Shadyside has captured.

This was a highly enjoyable horror movie that proves scares and murders can still come with some fun. Unexpected moments, strong visuals, and a cast that leans into all of the ridiculousness brought out of the 90's leaves this feeling like a breath of fresh air in a genre that has become overrun with implicitness. Come for the kills, come for the story, and come especially for the 90's love (Sega, mixtapes, beepers, AOL, etc.). Even with an ending that was left open as a vehicle to tell the story of the happenings in 1978, this was a really great throwback for the slasher genre. However, for the “Fear Street” trilogy as a whole, I hope they circle back to this first film and provide closure for its characters.

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RATING: 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 / 5

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