Written by Dakota Hornak, Staff Writer
*Spoilers below*
“Fear Street,” written by R.L Stine and directed by Leigh Janiak, has been a thrilling hit for Netflix viewers this early Halloween season. This trilogy takes place over three different years, following the cursed town of Shadyside as Deena Johnson and her friends try to save it. In “Fear Street 1978,” we left off with Deena reuniting the hand of Sarah Fier with her skeleton which transported Deena into the body of Sarah Fier all the way back in 1666.
At that moment, we see Sarah Fier’s reflection but Deena’s face, and that is when the audience realizes that the story is brought back to the beginning of Shadyside. This viewpoint made the beginning of the film even more compelling. The “Freaky Friday” style of putting Deena into the physical experience of Sarah creates more understanding for the witch as a character and throughout the film, it adds a fresh perspective not only time-era wise but seeing the modern characters play the original settlers of Shadyside.
It seems as if the town ran perfectly in 1666, until a brutal act committed by pastor Cryus Miller resulted in the death of several children and himself. This sent the town into a panic, and instigated rumors of a deal made with the devil. This is when the witch-hunt in Shadyside begins. Deena, or Sarah, and her girlfriend Sam, named Hannah in this time era, are pinned as the reason until the first Goode relative, Soloman, names Sarah as the one who made the devil’s deal.
The biggest drawback about this final installment is how slow moving the storyline flows when the film is in 1666. Even though the first two movies set up the excitement for discovering the truth, something about the writing and style of this part made it feel like a chore to continue watching. It also became confusing at times because of the old English used in the script. Especially after the intricate details and thrills in “Fear Street: 1978,” it was disappointing that I almost didn’t care about what happened but just wanted the film to tell me the truth so I could walk away.
Once Deena returns from 1666, she comes back realizing the family line of the sheriff, Nick Goode, is the one who started the curse, and the rest of the film is spent in the present time trying to get the Shadyside killers to destroy themselves and the Goode reign on the town. After it transitions back into 1994, the story picks back up and begins to engage the audience again.
Overall, as a series, I love the “Fear Street” installments. The story is well-written and compelling while being paired with detailed cinematography and camera angles that visually thrill the viewer. Even though “Fear Street: 1666” leaves the audience bored at some points, it’s worth watching to fully understand R.L Stine’s story. This entire series felt like Goosebumps grown-up. If you’re in search of nostalgia and fear, then this perfect combination will fit right into your Halloween celebrations this year. Stream all of “Fear Street” now on Netflix.
