The first part of the Fear Street trilogy, Fear Street Part 1: 1994, is exactly what it should be for a fun trip down memory lane.
As evidenced by the name, the first film takes place in 1994, when a group of teenagers discover that the terrifying events that have haunted their town for generations ​may all be connected — and they may be the next targets. The Netflix trilogy is based on R.L. Stine’s best selling horror series, following the nightmare through Shadyside’s sinister history.
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The highly anticipated horror trilogy event is almost here. When the first trailer came out, I wasn’t really interested as it did look like a bland horror slasher. But to my own surprise, I have to say, I was proven wrong. Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is a bloody and entertaining throwback to the iconic horror movies like Scream or Halloween.
Fear Street: Nightmare In Shadyside
It really has a nostalgic feeling to it, starting with the town it tkaes place in: Shadyside. While it won’t be as iconic as for example the Crystal Lake, it has a lot of character, which is rare in modern horror movies. You totally buy that this town has this horrifying and gruesome past, which will further be explored in the upcoming two entries. In this part, we only get a glimpse and little teasers what has happened in the towns history and what will happen in the upcoming parts. It remains to be seen if this order works, but audiences definitely will get hooked with all the teases and plot developments.
Netflix also brings two members of one of their most successful shows: Stranger Things. While Sadie Sink (Max in Stranger Things) gets her time to shine in the second part, Maya Hawke (Robin in Stranger Things) had a small part in this one. It remains to be seen if she returns in the other two, but if not I’d be a bit disappointed as she sadly only had a really small role. The rest of the cast does a decent job, the standout being Fred Hechinger as he delivers a hilarious, over the top performance that guarantees some laughs and smirks.
Technically, there isn’t a lot to say as everything works, but nothing stands out. Just the editing feels very flashy at times, making some scene transitions not as smooth as the could have been.
For people that are still unsure, if the film might end up being to scary for them, Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is more of a slasher than a horror film, while some scenes or themes are generally horrifying, it was an fairly easy watch. It focuses on brutal kills a la Halloween and does deliver on that front. Even the jump scares fall flat, which didn’t hurt my viewing experience at all.
Netflix really landed a hit with this trilogy, while it remains to be seen if the release oreder works out and if the upcoming parts are as good as the first one, you are really hooked at the end and want to see how the story continues. It ends on a cliffhanger, but gives audiences a short look at what is to come just before the credits.
Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is a gripping, entertaining and bloody horror slasher, in the veins of Scream or Halloween. Through all the teases and cliffhangers, it really feels like an event and could end up being one of Netflix’s biggest releases this year.
3.5/5
Fear Street Part 1: 1994 hits Netflix globally July 2, 2021. It is based on the books with the same name by R.L. Stine and is directed by Leigh Janiak. It stars: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Fred Hechinger, Charlene Amoia and Maya Hawke.
What do you guys think? Are you planning to watch it? Have you seen it already, if so how did you like it? Let’s discuss everything in the comments down below and on our Twitter.
