Following a pre-credits massacre at a shopping mall we are introduced to a group of teenagers in the town of Shadyville who will have to survive against the evil that has existed in their town for over 300 years. 

Fear Street is an intriguing Netflix horror event. A trilogy of horror films releasing weekly on the streaming platform based on the novels by R. L. Stine. Best known for his children friendly Goosebumps novels these films are anything but for the kids! Rated 18 and featuring plenty of gore they are happy to not worry about fighting for screen space at a cinema. 

The opening sequence promises much and is very much a homage to Scream. Maya Hawke playing a book shop clerk finds herself with the unwanted attention of a knife wielding maniac dressed in a costume similar to the villain from that famous franchise. The credits then gives us a history of Shadyville and its neighbouring town Sunnyvale and a glimpse at the sequels that will be following this entry. 

Then we enter the story proper. Deena (Kiana Madeira) is broken hearted about her break up with Sam (Olivia Scott Welch). But when Sam starts to have visions of Sarah Fier, an ancient witch that the teenagers share tales about they are thrust back together fending off evil from all angles. Joining them are Deena’s brother Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.) and friends Kate (Julia Rehwald) and Simon (Fred Hirchinger). 

The vibe is very much Stranger Things and not just because of that Maya Hawke cameo. Whilst Stranger Things is set in the 80’s and this is the 90’s it has a number of similarities. Our main characters are teens, it pays tribute and homage to its many horror film inspirations and feels steeped in its era. In fact the soundtrack at some points was the soundtrack of my early teens with the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Bush, Portishead, Soundgarden and Radiohead all featuring. Adults are very much on the outside of the story here as well. The children’s parents are mostly absent with Sheriff Goode (Ashley Zukerman) the only real adult presence in the story. 

The issue though is that the film never quite lives up to the opening. Our teenage group are only intermittently engaging and the plot is doing a lot of heavy lifting trying to set up the interlinked sequels which will take place in different time periods. That is not to say it is bad, merely fine with an incredibly intriguing set up for what follows. 

So if you want a gory slasher flick with supernatural vibes that may pay off in its upcoming sequels then this is for you. Watch this space for reviews of those sequels in the coming weeks. 

My review of the sequels are here:

Fear Street Part 2: 1978

Fear Street Part 3: 1666