‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Review: Death Stalks High School Halls in Overfamiliar Netflix Slasher Filled With Old Tropes

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Renowned author R.L. Stine, best known for his “Goosebumps” series, also created the popular young adult “Fear Street” franchise. Four years ago, Netflix released a trilogy based on this series, directed by Leigh Janiak. Each movie (“Fear Street: 1994”, “1978” and “1666”) was set in the same supposedly cursed town during different periods. While the trilogy had its inconsistencies, it was visually striking, diverse in style, and demonstrated a level of ambition that sets it apart from typical horror movie fare. In summary, these movies were more than just your average horror entries.

As a die-hard fan of the “Fear Street” series, I must admit that the latest installment, “Fear Street: Prom Queen,” fell short of my expectations. Compared to the grandeur and originality of previous chapters, this standalone feels rather routine. Drawn from classic high school slasher tropes dating as far back as the 1980’s “Prom Night,” it lacked any fresh spin or witty commentary that could have elevated it. Unfortunately, this new addition seems to be more of a polished yet uninspired attempt, failing even to acknowledge the mythology established in the earlier films.

The narrative returns to the troubled town of Shadyside, often cursed with misfortune, where protagonist Lori Granger (India Fowler) laments in her initial voiceover. In 1988, it appears as a typical, idyllic American small town, but is plagued by frequent gruesome incidents of tragedy – one of which claimed Lori’s father’s life, leaving her mother (Joanne Boland) under suspicion for the rest of her days. Strangely enough, the affluent Falconer family, residing just across the street in a grand house, are the neighbors to our protagonists. The Falconers, played by Katherine Waterson and Chris Klein, have raised their only child Tiffany (Fina Strazza) to be a particularly snobbish WASP. She leads a high school girl gang known as “the Wolfpack,” with Tiffany keeping the other three members in check while they direct their malice at everyone else, especially Lori and her goth friend Megan, who was previously seen in “Red Rocket.

Despite feeling constantly bullied, Lori has decided to compete for prom queen alongside her peers, who are colloquially referred to as “she-wolves.” Among them is Christy, a self-proclaimed rebel and the sixth contestant, who seems to be running simply to defy the school and its administrators, including Principal Wayland and Vice Principal Brekenridge. In a seedy part of town one evening, Christy is confronted by someone in a mask and raincoat reminiscent of the murderer from “Don’t Look Now.” The story then unfolds around this slasher theme as it follows the ensuing events.

Subsequently, we quickly arrive at the prom, where a menacing and dangerous individual starts to chase and attack the potential queens. The chances of survival progressively decrease for the Wolfettes, along with their unfortunate partners and anyone else who crosses paths. Megan initially suspects something is off as these high-profile attendees start vanishing during the event, but at first, no one listens to her – even Lori, who’s preoccupied by Tyler’s (David Iacono) growing affection for Tiffany. However, once heads start rolling right on the dance floor, everyone understands the gravity of the situation.

As a fan, I found “Fear Street: Prom Queen” to be somewhat lacking in originality. It seems to borrow heavily from typical slasher films and high school satires like “Heathers” and “Mean Girls,” but fails to decide whether it wants to take these elements seriously or not. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to share much with the 1992 “Fear Street” novel “The Prom Queen.” Consequently, the production feels somewhat lackluster despite being paced well enough to keep viewers engaged.

In this reinterpretation, the characters lack depth, making it difficult to invest emotions in them despite occasional attempts to prompt that response. However, the exaggerated nature of these characters doesn’t provide enough excitement to be enjoyable. The original “Fear Street” trilogy had a supernatural element driving the chaos, but this version replaces it with an over-the-top human explanation that seems out of place given the film’s lack of embrace of the implausible. This ending is more ridiculous than flamboyant or intentionally humorous. Even a dance-off confrontation between the underdog hero and villainess, which could have been ripe for over-the-top camp, falls short of expectations.

The competent actors, who are usually well-chosen, are not to blame for the film’s shortcomings – they’ve given their best despite the fact that you might feel that veteran talent is being underutilized. Instead, it seems to be a matter of the film’s inconsistent tone. It’s possible that British director Matt Palmer and his co-writer Donald McLeary aren’t fully at ease with the American setting (despite the Canadian production) or the genre conventions they are dealing with. In contrast, their previous work, “Calibre” from 2018, a thriller set in the Scottish Highlands, was deeply focused on psychological complexity.

Individuals who set their standards for enjoyment comparable to a typical 80’s slasher movie will find this experience somewhat enjoyable, despite the gory effects. The film predominantly focuses on the elements of 1980s teen culture, such as vibrant fashion trends and an array of popular tunes from artists like Billy Idol, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Roxette, Rick Astley, Bananarama, Tiffany, Laura Branigan, with the music by Newton Brothers mirroring a similar synthesizer style. Notably, a recurring theme from previous films is the portrayal of lesbian attraction, though Megan’s longing for Lori plays a less significant role in this storyline.

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2025-05-23 07:17