Fear Street Part 1: 1994 Review

Modern horror series can best be described as a single film that hopes to become more, a series, or even a universe. Netflix is banking for something new with its recent release Fear Street, a trilogy filmed back to back taking place in several different eras, 1994, 1978, and 1666. Each trilogy must have its beginning, and Fear Street: 1994 creates an interesting beginning to the trilogy, while also being a damn good horror film on its own.

Fear Street follows Deena, a teenager living in the town of Shadyside, nicknamed "Murder Capital USA" for the long legacy of brutal murders that have impacted the town. As the town is reeling from a new round of murders, Deena is dealing with the post breakup feelings for her ex, Sam. But after an accident, Deena and her friends Kate, Simon, and Josh must come together to protect Sam from a group of killers, and begin to uncover the legacy of what is haunting Shadyside.

One of the most enjoyable things about the plot is how unexpected it was. Without saying too much, I had gone into the film anticipating a typical slasher, but was pleasantly surprised at how the film took the slasher formula and turned it into something different. One negative is the ex-Sam. film does have a bit of slowness around the middle to the end of the second act, with the characters going from one place to another to another. These scenes are important and push the plot and mystery forward, but it felt like the scares were lacking.

Speaking of scares, throughout the film there are some special effects that I found to be surprisingly nice. The little bits of CGI in the film don't detract from the action at all, and add to the film as a whole. The practical effects are a mix though. Some of them are fairly nice, especially with one particular kill, but there are times that it looks like a basic prop from the archives.

The film is also supported by the performances of its main actors. Kiana Maderia is amazing as Deena, really making you feel for the character and having a proper amount of emotion for every scene, and the other actors Benjamin Flores Jr. and Julia Rehwald are great as Josh and Kate respectively. I sadly don't have as high of praise for Fred Hechinger and Oliva Welch, playing Simon and Sam. The performances seemed a bit two dimensional, but that could also be said for what they were given.

In the end Fear Street 1994 is a great horror film. It creates an interesting mythology while also being almost a perfect standalone film. While bogged down a bit by a few performances and a lacking middle, the twists on the slasher formula bring enough to the table to have an good watch. The greatest test is to see if everything will be able to come together in a satisfying way, but even so, it remains a great fun horror watch.