A BLUNT SLASHER

Fear Street: Prom Queen fails to capture the magic and thrill of the original trilogy

- Story by TATAT BUNNAG

It has been four years since Netflix released the Fear Street trilogy — three interconnected slasher films that mixed 80s nostalgia, supernatural lore and time-hopping ambition.

The movies came out during a period when anything evoking retro aesthetics, especially the 1980s, like Stranger Things, practically guaranteed success. Though far from perfect, the original Fear Street trilogy had its own pulpy charm, especially in the way it linked three different time periods together into one cohesive and mysterious narrative.

Now, for reasons only Netflix executives may fully understand, the streaming giant has expanded the franchise with a new standalone instalment — Fear Street: Prom Queen. Directed by Matt Palmer and based on R.L. Stine’s 1992 novel The Prom Queen, this new entry attempts to recapture some of the trilogy’s magic. Unfortunately, it misses the mark on nearly every level.

If you were a fan of the original films and approach Prom Queen with high expectations, prepare for disappointment. This instalment feels not only unnecessary, but downright disconnected from what made the previous films work. Beyond its over-reliance on neon lights and 80s soundtrack, the film lacks the layered mystery and emotional investment that once made the Fear Street films worth watching. It tries so hard to look and sound like the 1980s that it ends up feeling like an extended music video rather than a fully realised horror film.