Warning: Spoilers ahead for Fear Street: Prom Queen & Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy from 2021!After the success of Netflix’s Fear Street movie trilogy in 2021, the streaming service made plans to extend the horror franchise based on the popular YA horror series by R.L. Stine. Leigh Janiak directed all three full-length movies that made up the original Fear Street trilogy, which followed a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly curse plaguing the town of Shadyside. In 2025, the franchise got a fourth installment with the release of Fear Street: Prom Queen.

Whereas Janiak’s Fear Street centered on Shadyside and Sarah Fier’s curse dating back to the 1600s, Prom Queen was more of a standalone entry, focusing on a new set of potential victims that didn’t have direct links to existing figures from the trilogy. Fear Street: Prom Queen‘s ending slightly teased a lore connection, but the entry didn’t rely on connections to the previous installments. As for the entire franchise, some elements worked better than others throughout the four Fear Street movies.

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Fear Street: Prom Queen

The Fourth Installment Is The Weakest

Rather than continue the story at the center of Janiak’s Fear Street movies or dedicate a spinoff to an event mentioned in the trilogy, the fourth movie, Fear Street: Prom Queen, went in another direction. The movie by Matt Palmer was based on Stine’s 1992 book, The Prom Queen, and was set in 1988, which was notably within Fear Street‘s established timeline. For the most recent entry, the Shadyshide mᴀssacre occurred during the high school prom, with masked killers targeting Prom Queen candidates and their dates.

India Fowler’s role as Lori Granger was a standout member of Fear Street: Prom Queen‘s cast. That said, the ’80s-set movie didn’t have the strong supporting cast compared to the other Fear Street entries. There was a likability factor when batches of characters were introduced in 1994 and 1978, giving viewers a reason to root for their survival. Even the bullies in 1978 added more tension to the already tense scenarios. However, Prom Queen‘s characters were mostly forgettable.

As for the story, Prom Queen had the potential to be a fun, campy teenage slasher, but rather than present anything new to the genre, it leaned too much into horror clichés. While the Falconer family twist might work for some, Prom Queen‘s lack of connections through Fear Street lore weakened the movie’s story. The credits scene that hinted at a Sarah Fier connection was also underwhelming, feeling more like an afterthought rather than an attempt at building a satisfying story connection.

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Fear Street Part Two: 1978

1978 Is Fun, But It’s Not At The Same Level As The Rest Of The Trilogy

Though Fear Street Part Two: 1978 should by no means be considered a bad movie, it did feature some of the weaker aspects of the trilogy. Following the 1994 chapter, Deena and her brother, Josh, sought help from C. Berman, a survivor of 1978’s Camp Nightwing mᴀssacre, in the hope of saving Sam from becoming the next victim of the witch’s curse. The sequel introduced an intriguing set of characters, including C. Berman’s younger self, Ziggy, her sister, Cindy, and Tommy, who turned out to be the new victim of the curse.

Like all entries in the Fear Street franchise, 1978 was inspired by popular horror тιтles like Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp, which were evident through 1978‘s slasher Easter eggs. Still, the entry felt limited by the lone killer featured for much of this chapter. The gore was amplified to fit the summer camp slasher vibe, but with the lack of inventive kills, the onscreen violence felt gratuitous, especially when the Berman sisters fell victim under the hanging tree.

Though the supporting characters in 1978 were slightly weaker than the other installments, possibly due to their short-lived arcs, the movie featured a few strong performances. Sadie Sink was great as Ziggy Berman, emulating the pain all Shadyshiders share before getting an emotional response from her sister. Perhaps knowing the fate of Camp Nightwing and the Berman sisters, despite 1978‘s twist surrounding C. Berman’s idenтιтy, hindered the third act. But more than likely, 1978 fell into the classic middle-movie trap that often comes with trilogies.

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Fear Street Part One: 1994

1994 Is A Strong Start For Netflix’s Trilogy

Whereas 1978 was tasked with telling an important chapter in the tale of Shadyside’s curse, Fear Street Part One: 1994 was responsible for introducing the fictional world. After paying homage to Scream with a quick kill, 1994 shifted focus to Deena, a teenage girl dealing with heartbreak following the failed relationship with her girlfriend, Sam. The pair quickly got targeted by the Shadyside curse once Sam became marked by whom the group thought was Sarah Fier. Deena, her brother Josh, and friends, Simon and Kate, then attempted to save Sam from bloodthirsty killers.

Unlike 1978, which was limited to Tommy Slater serving as the killer, the ’90s crew was forced to deal with a slew of supernatural-powered murders. In addition to Tommy, the axe-wielding Camp Nightwing killer, the group had to outrun Skull Mask and Ruby Lane. The variety of killers made for some unforgettable sequences. Not only was their Stranger Things-esque teamwork in taking down the mastermind’s army, but the ᴀssortment of antagonists resulted in some brutal kills, such as the bread-slicer death of Kate in the grocery store, which was one of the best kills in the Fear Street movies.

By embracing the Scream-era of horror with the meta approach, 1994 excelled by presenting an intriguing set of core characters who each had a role to fill. Kate and Simon gave viewers reasons to root for them before meeting tragic deaths, while Josh served as the surprising underdog. Most notable, however, were Deena and Sam, who rekindled their relationship while escaping death time and time again. 1994, specifically, introduced a new Final Girl in Deena, but she wasn’t one previously seen in horror, which was a welcome change that continued to pay off in the trilogy.

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Fear Street Part Three: 1666

The Third Entry In Netflix’s Original Trilogy Brings Everything Together

Interestingly, the trilogy’s final installment, Fear Street Part Three: 1666, was also the strongest. This may have surprised many, seeing as the chapter was also the riskiest to pull off. The story transported viewers to the 1600s to document the origin of the curse. Sarah Fier, a member of the colonial settlement that eventually transformed into Shadyside, was accused of being a witch alongside her forbidden love, Hannah. In reality, Solomon Goode made a deal with the devil, bringing the curse to Shadyside that would last for centuries, but the truth was buried with Sarah after she was hanged.

Janiak’s trilogy came to a wildly satisfying conclusion in 1666, but it was also thrilling to see cast members return to play other roles in the 1600s, specifically those who met quick demises. Though 1666‘s Goode family villain twist was a major factor in the trilogy’s conclusion, the truth about Sarah elicited another strong reaction. It was truly heartbreaking to learn her fate, considering she was technically killed for loving another woman. The revelations regarding Sarah’s grim fate then propelled the real final act, allowing the trilogy to jump back to the primary timeline.

In one final surprise, “1994: Part 2” popped onscreen, giving the ’90s characters a chance to put the curse to rest upon learning the truth about Sarah and the Goode family. Deena and Josh enlisted the help of C. Berman and Martin to take down Sheriff Nick Goode, the current figure carrying on the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly rituals causing chaos in Shadyside. After an exciting serial killer beatdown in the local mall, Deena managed to come out on top, killing Nick and saving the town, including Sam.

Deena and Sam’s love story remained at the heart of the original trilogy, mirroring the connection between Sarah and Hannah, but with a much happier ending. The full-circle plot point proved the queer romance was more than an edgy detail, and instead, a key part of the overarching story. Of course, the final moments of the Fear Street trilogy also left open the possibilities of more chapters because, as horror fans know, killers and curses never stay away forever.