Given that I did a re-read of R.L. Stine’s original “Fear Street” series, as well as a few “Super Chillers” and a couple special Trilogies within the Universe, when I saw that Netflix was going to make some “Fear Street” movies I knew I was game. And because that re-read series was chronicled on this blog, I figured that I ought to give my thoughts on these new movies as well, as nostalgia bombs and a new way for people to connect with a classic series in YA horror literature! So let’s see what the Netflix “Fear Street” Trilogy does for the series when introducing it to a new generation!
Film: “Fear Street Part Three: 1666”
We have come to the final installment of Netflix’s “Fear Street” Trilogy, and that means that everything is coming to a head. When we left off at the end of “1978”, Deena had tried to reunite Sara Fier’s hand with her body to save Sam and Shadyside (as the curse is interpreted as being done once they’ve been reunited), but then found herself transported back to the town of Unity in 1666, and experiencing Sara Fier’s final days before she was hanged as a witch. I figured we had to get the backstory to Sara and the curse somehow, and this was how we were going to do it.
I found this choice to be a bit risky, but only because period pieces can be difficult to pull off. But I felt that everyone involved (as cast members from previous movies came back to play members of the town of Unity, before it was split into Shadyside and Sunnyvale) did a pretty okay job, accents notwithstanding. We get a little bit of a historical thriller here a la “The Crucible” or “The Witch”, as once things start going bad in the town Sara and her friend/potential lover Hannah are seen as the obvious culprits due to their rebellious (and Sapphic) ways. You know I was steaming the whole time, as Puritanical bullshit really steams me, and it was interesting watching Sara Fier go from strong willed but generally affable townsperson to reviled by her community, and then consumed by her rage at the injustice of it all, willing to do anything to save Hannah and herself, even if that means making a deal with the Devil. That said, things aren’t always as they seem, and I feel a bit sheepish to admit that I wasn’t always totally in tune to what the movie was doing. Which was nice, actually. I fully appreciated the tried and true themes of ‘women being oppressed because they won’t tow the line’ within this flick, as well as ‘injustice can lead to very bad things that repeat over the years’. Throw in some really gruesome moments in the flashback (ugh, a couple actively made me gasp in disgust) and you have an effective historical horror section.
We also get the wrap up of the entire trilogy as a whole as Deena and Josh, with the help of familiar faces from the previous movies, try and stop the curse upon Shadyside once and for all. This felt less like a historical thriller and more like the slasher genre that the previous two movies had, which made it fit a little bit better within the trilogy. And like in the other two movies, the various Shadyside slashers get to show off their creepiness for one more big fight scene. I would love it if we could get backgrounds for all the slashers we haven’t seen origins of (especially that of Ruby Lane, the teenage girl who went on a murder spree the night of the Prom in the 1950s. Ruby was my girl!), as the tastes in these movies were fun and creepy, but definitely making me want more. I think that my only qualm is that in some ways it felt like it wrapped up a little neater than the other two movies. I’m not saying that I wanted more blood and guts, necessarily, but the balls to the wall stakes didn’t feel as high when all was said and done. Not to say it wasn’t fun and satisfying! It just didn’t go as far as previous installments when it came to emotional dread and fallout.
Overall, “Fear Street Part Three: 1666” was a satisfying end to a really fun trilogy. I think that “1978” is still my favorite, but they are all quite enjoyable in their own ways. As a whole, “Fear Street” is nostalgic slasher goodness, and if they wanted to continue exploring R.L. Stine’s stories I would definitely be on board!
The Library Ladies 
I enjoyed these too (I was addicted to the books as a kid!) Here’s my post on the movies: https://franlaniado.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/fear-street-reboot-films-and-nostalgia/
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Oh neat!! Definitely going to check that out, thanks! -k
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Good evening. I’m showing myself one final time to tell you about my opinion on this (I expect) final part of the Fear Street movies.
Alrighty then, the first part (1666) was kinda good. The scariest parts of the saga can be found here, and this one is heavily inspired by Stine’s The Betrayal, along with having an interesting plot twist about this time’s villain, so I’m a bit more positive this time. However, there are some things left unanswered:
-I get that, unlike The Betrayal, the Goode were more like tha Bade this time, but if Sarah Fier and her brother were killed, how did the surname survive to the present times to the point where there is a Fear Street? Well, there’s no mentions of the manion/lake/island either, so I might as well expect they chose that name for the street just because. But really, the mother was also dead, and I doubt anyone would want to take the father of the witch to bed after what happened. At least the Fear Street Saga books left a surviving relative for the story to continue.
(Also, am I supossed to get that the 1666’s kids are 1994’s ancestors, and that’s why they look the same and make it to the end of the movie? If so, how comes Deena exists? Her ancestors died before having children!
Anyway, back to the second part (1994 again)… well, let’s just say The Perfect Date made more sense. Also, the ending with the remaining members of the Goode family felt rushed, and I keep my previous statement about how Nick Goode’s character seems to have been written along the way. Oh, but I enjoyed the part where one of the kids uses a FS book as a shield to avoid being stabbed, it portays really well how the producers handled the original work (gosh, reading what I just wrote makes me realize I chose the correct nickname xD )
Also, remember the creative deaths the books had? Having your face messed up in a potter’s wheel, hanging yourself by accident while preparing a prank, being beheaded by a thread on a ski descent or being impaled by a rowing paddle. I feel like the movies as a whole lacked this creativity (except for the one with the bread slicer, it’s the only one I still remember).
But getting serious now. The thing about the Fear Street movies is that they have this taste that can be found in recent Netflix works. We have women suffering from unfairness that makes the viewer angry, and it’s all about social rights and justice. I feel like they’re missing the point of the original saga. What I liked about the books is how Stine didn’t make the horror “too real”. There were very few mentions of topics such as home violence, bullying, drugs, and such. We have happy girls with normal lives, having fun with friends until the horror happens. The movies were really uncomfortable (and a bit painful) to watch in that sense, I guess that’s what made me resentful towards them in the first place. But hey, I still have the books, don’t I?
That’s all I wanted to say, I think. Thanks for bearing with me and I hope you review Broken Hearts sometimes.
Take care, and may this night be a… silent night.
Robin Dalby
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