As a self-professed baby horror fan whose first exposure to scary stories involved devouring everyR.L. Stinetitle I could get my hands on at my local library, the announcement of aFear Streetadaptation inspired by the works of the author’s long-running book series seemed tailor-made just for me. Learning that it would be a trilogy of movies rather than just the one was triply good news. While the first of its installments, which takes place in 1994,debuted last weekin a splash of neon-infused gore and enough needle drops to give anyone auditory whiplash,Fear Street Part Two: 1978takes us back through time to the era when summer camp slashers were at their zenith — but revisits all those familiar tropes in ways that pay homage to the subgenre without letting nostalgia goggles detract from the tragic story.
Part Twopicks up almost immediately after the cliffhanger of1994, which saw high schooler Deena (Kiana Madeira) faced with the horrifying realization that her girlfriend Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) may not have escaped the clutches of the Shadyside Witch after all — and that there might only be one person still out there who survived Sarah Fier’s evil hand and lived to tell the tale. That mission, which seems to be the impetus driving the trilogy’s entire major story, is what prompts our desperate teens — and the audience by extension — to take a trip back to 1978 and Camp Nightwing, where the origin of one of the Witch’s deadliest killers ended in a night of terror and bloodshed.
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DirectorLeigh Janiak(who co-wrote the story for1978alongsidePhil GraziadeiandZak Olkewicz, the latter of whom penned the screenplay) gives us a follow-up that not only feels tonally unique from the first movie, but also completely diverts in terms of its visuals. Blacklight posters and hard ’90s rock are swapped out for warm golden sunlight and classic rock tunes — the latter of which continues up to and even after the ax-murdering starts. And while the firstFear Streetfilm primarily revolved around the romantic ups and downs for two young women,Part Twotackles a different kind of dynamic equally filled with complicated emotions: the one between family. Polo-shirt-wearing camp counselor Cindy Berman (Emily Rudd) and her younger sister Ziggy (Sadie Sink) are total opposites, and the movie’s script has to deftly thread the needle between establishing the backstory of their contentious relationship as well as building out theFear Streetworld and this ancient evil that’s been hovering over Shadyside for literal centuries.
The Berman sisters are without question the film’s anchor, but it’sPart Two’s supporting cast that makes it an equally entertaining chapter in the overall trilogy, especially the typical no-good counselors with a penchant for partying more than keeping an eye on any kids (Ryan Simpkins, who channels the spirit of scream queenLinnea Quigleyin the height of her B-movie glory, is a very strong standout, as isMcCabe Slyeas Cindy’s boyfriend Tommy). But setting a trio of movies in the same small town means that we get to see younger incarnations of characters we’ve already come to know — like charming, well-dimpled Camp Nightwing counselor Nick Goode (Ted Sutherland), for example, who will one day grow up to become the sheriff ofPart Onewho predictably dismisses our teens' claims of a serial killer stalking Shadyside.
The best thing aboutPart Two, ultimately, is how it honors the summer camp horror flicks that came before it while never veering too far into gratuitousness on any level. There are all the typical touchstones of any 70s-era slasher — sex, drugs, rock-and-roll — but none of its violence feels aimed at punishing characters for what would have been considered transgressive behavior and, therefore worthy of death. Comparisons to such franchises asFriday the 13thmight be inevitable, but what this secondFear Streetfilm does differently is introducing those classic story devices while never failing to hammer home the unsettling reminder that this town tragedy was doubly horrifying because all of its victims were so young.
Part Two: 1978isn’t just a movie that serves as a link between1994and the soon-to-be-releasedPart Three: 1666(although the end setup leading into that film practically had me fist-pumping on my couch). WhilePart Onehad to do most of the heavy lifting in terms of narrative setup and introduction,Part Twois here to expand on that lore drop and remind us of exactly how long this Shadyside curse has been around and kicking, and spoiler alert: no one is having a good time here.
RATING: A-
Fear Street Part One: 1994 is available to stream on Netflix, with Part Two: 1977 premiering on July 9 and Part Three: 1666 on July 16.
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