Movie Review ~ Fear Street: Prom Queen

When Netflix acquired a trilogy of completed Fear Street movies in August of 2020, they took over an ambitious plan conceived initially by what was then 20th Century Fox and production company Chernin Entertainment, that would capitalize on the enduring popularity of R.L. Stine’s beloved book series for teens. Stine’s younger-skewing Goosebumps books had already made it to the big screen twice (and would get rejuvenated with a slightly edgier Hulu series that began in 2023). Though the original intent was to release the Fear Street films in theaters, the pandemic changed those plans and opened the door for Netflix to take the lead in releasing them over three consecutive weeks in July 2021.

This trilogy (Part One: 1994, Part Two: 1978, and Part Three: 1666), a mostly original story told over separate time periods, drew inspiration from various Fear Street novels and was a delightfully playful surprise for genre fans who were used to being burned by toothless horror that promised a lot but couldn’t deliver. Instead, director Leigh Janiak gave audiences a pitch-perfect, well-cast, detailed gem that didn’t short viewers on gore, mystery or suspense. It was a significant hit for Netflix and another movie was greenlit soon after.

The streaming giant’s decision to continue mining R.L. Stine’s literary universe makes perfect sense. There are seemingly endless titles and an easy route for characters to appear in multiple films should they be popular with audiences. Four years later, Fear Street: Prom Queen brings back the signature retro flair and teenage dread, ready to spin the glitter ball back to Shadyside circa 1988. As a standalone entry, it’s more nostalgia-boosted costume party than a pulse-pounding slasher masterpiece—but there’s enough style and bite to keep genre fans entertained, even if you can see the twist coming from a mile away.

Prom season has descended upon cursed Shadyside High, and the social food chain is locked in with all its pageantry and pressure. Queen bee Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza, a recent Tony nominee for Broadway’s John Proctor is the Villain, in which she appears with Sadie Sink, a star of the original trilogy) rules the hallways with her “Wolf Pack” of privileged worker drones, manicured stingers at the ready to prop up her pastel throne. On the other side of the popularity spectrum, wallflower Lori Granger (India Fowler, The Strangers: Chapter 1) navigates life on the social margins, haunted by her family’s troubled past and the town’s unrelenting gossip.

The competition turns deadly when Lori’s nomination for Prom Queen challenges Tiffany’s apparently preordained coronation. Students go missing. Secrets spill. Someone in a red slicker and mask that came with the “killer’s getup” set at Halloween Express is slicing their way through the competition, setting up a blood-drenched battle for teenage royalty. With her friend Megan (Suzanna Son, Red Rocket) by her side, Lori has to find out who’s taking it upon themselves to knock candidates out of the race permanently, before her head is next on the axe-wielding maniac’s chopping block.

Fowler makes for a compelling lead, giving off a young Jennifer Lawrence vibe as she works through a script that doesn’t always give her a lot to work with. Lori isn’t just chasing a crown for herself; she knows a win would be some redemption for her mother, who has lived under the shadow of a horrific accusation her entire life. Winning would help her go from trying to rewrite her story in a town that never forgets a scandal to closing the book on the matter.  Not that the adults seem too inclined to feel much warmth toward her anyway, there are few friendly faces in authority and good actors like Lili Taylor (The Conjuring), Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), and Chris Klein (American Reunion) mostly stand in the shadows glowering at the girls having their fun.

Stealing almost every scene she’s in is Son as Lori’s gothic-glam sidekick with a knack for twisted humor and a wardrobe full of creepy-cool confidence. Leaning into Megan’s androgynous edge with real charisma, Son hints at layers to her character the script only briefly touches on. It’s a great example of an actor taking what’s on the page and doing more with it to make it memorable. Meanwhile, Strazza’s gloriously hateful Tiffany is an alpha predator, always brandishing an icy smile and a daggered compliment. She looks immaculate even while manipulating her friends (Anora‘s Ella Rubin’s Melissa is a standout) and making her boyfriend (David Iacono, Joker) jump at every command.

Director Matt Palmer (Calibre) demonstrates visual flair throughout, particularly during the film’s centerpiece prom sequence. The gymnasium’s transformation from a pastel paradise to a blood-plastered nightmare is the film’s high point, equal parts Carrie and MTV fever dream. It all unfolds with style, even if the narrative path to get there feels oddly rushed (the prom begins around a half hour into the 89-minute film). Palmer captures the era with Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper aesthetics and tops it all off with a ludicrously absurd dance sequence that plays like a tip of the hat to Prom Night’s unbeatable disco fantasia.

Much like the Fear Street trilogy before it, Prom Queen’s greatest strengths lie in the production design’s meticulous attention to period detail. Hitting the 1980s bullseye without descending into spoofing it, the soundtrack goes full babysitter-core with needle drops that feel lifted from a dusty cassette found in your older cousin’s VW Cabriolet Convertible. In that way, the era’s innocence shines through, even as axes and other sharp objects fly through the air and limbs are lopped off…so many limbs.

However, Prom Queen can’t quite dance past some major stumbles. The killer’s identity is painfully obvious early on, and no amount of red herrings Palmer and co-screenwriter Donald McLeary throw our way can distract from the telegraphed reveal. In the same breath (and without spoilers), I’ll say that even knowing their guilt, it was fun to watch the killer move through the film and remain off the suspect list for so long. I wish I could say more because it’s quite the performance.

More frustratingly, characters make baffling decisions that defy basic survival instincts: separating from the group, searching desks for weapons instead of running, exploring dark basements alone, or freezing in terror rather than fighting back. These moments feel less like authentic teenage panic, and more like lazy shortcuts to the next murder set piece.

More disappointing is that this film abandons the mythology and risk-taking narratives that made the 2021 Fear Street trilogy such a surprise hit. I understand this is its own entity and has a limited amount of story to work with. However, there is a way to balance your slasher elements with a compelling backstory and emotional stakes that don’t feel like paper doll feelings characters are trying on for size. Prom Queen jettisons much of that depth because its characters are mostly pawns. Once they’ve served their purpose, they’re dispatched with plenty of blood, but little weight. There are a few deeper themes to explore, such as gossip’s nefarious legacy and class privilege, but the movie doesn’t trust the audience enough to dig in. It only wants to thrill, not reflect.

That’s not to say it’s a total miss because there’s fun to be had in the high-camp kills. Prom Queen is a decent one-off, but I worry that this is a step back from the clever structure and risk-taking of the 2021 trilogy. The good news is that with Stine’s vast library filled with numerous options (how about the Silent Night trilogy next?), Netflix still has plenty of chances to sharpen its storytelling knife. If you appreciate a nostalgic trip through horror’s high school hallways that delivers just enough charm and carnage to keep Shadyside’s bloody legacy spinning, consider offering Fear Street: Prom Queen a promposal.