We’re back this week with a review of the second installment in the new Netflix horror series: Fear Street. The series is a bit of an ode to classic slasher flicks, along with a fun supernatural spin, all with a bit of a Stranger Things vibe. The three movies are adapted from a series of books by R.L. Stine and represent another push by Netflix to create more original content. Let's get on to our review of Fear Street Part 2.
What Has Already Happened?
Here’s a quick synopsis of Fear Street Part 1: 1994, in case you don’t have time to read our full review of the first film in the trilogy. Part one introduced us to Deena, Sam, Josh, and the rest of their high-school crew as they faced off against what they initially think is ‘just’ a crazy serial killer. They quickly learn that the real villain is a witch from 1666 who cursed the town and continues to exact her vengeance from beyond the grave by reanimating dead murderers to do her bidding.
We think the surviving teens (Deena, Sam, Josh) have finally freed themselves from the curse, only to have it reappear when Sam is possessed by the witch (Sarah Fier) at the end of the film. The cliffhanger ending has Deena reaching out to the only known survivor of a related massacre in 1978 for help, which brings us to Fear Street Part 2: 1978.
A Movie Within a Movie
The format of the film involves Deena and Josh (with a possessed Sam in tow) tracking down that sole survivor of the Camp Nightwing massacre for help in figuring out how she has survived the curse all these years. This leads to that survivor telling them the story of how her summer camp became the scene of another Sara Fiers-driven serial killer massacre. The main part of the film takes place in 1978 at that unfortunate Camp Nightwing.
The 1978 story follows many of the expected summer-camp-slasher genre themes but adds supernatural elements. We see the one-sided rivalry between Shadyside and Sunnyvale was alive and well in the 1970s as the camp is split between campers from the two towns, but made up predominantly of members of Sunnyvale. When camp counselor Tommy is possessed by heh witch, going on a very Jason-like murder spree in the camp. Interestingly enough, it seems that he really only wants to kill Shadysiders. We may learn more about that in Part 3.
Paying Homage to Summer Camp Slasher Flicks
Amidst the cast of summer camp slasher characters, we have Ziggy (the rebel) and her sister, Cindy (the good girl) as our two main protagonists. We also get a younger version of Sheriff Nick Goode from Part 1 who helps play the hero. We do get a bit of a spin on the typical slasher finale when we discover that our survivor is not the expected Cindy, but rather her rebel sister Ziggy.
Other characters run the full spectrum of the jock, druggie, class clown, snotty rich girl, and assorted kids as the campers. When Tommy goes on his ax-wielding rampage, the film earns a solid R-rating, although the younger kids get chopped up off-camera.
Setting up Part 3
The girls discover the Witch’s hand, which they believe will help them end the curse if they can just reconnect it to her body. But, with reanimated killers closing in, they discover that the body is not where they expected. The girls are both killed in gruesome fashion before the ghostly murderers all vanish. Nick is able to bring Ziggy back with CPR, much as Deena brought Sam back in Part 1.
We are brought back to 1994 for the last part of the film, as Deena and Josh retrieve the Witch’s hand from where it was buried in 1978 and make their way back to the woods to pace it with the Witch’s body that they found in Part 1. Deena is beset with visions of 1666 when the Witch was executed, which leads us into Part 3.
Watch it or Not?
As with Part 1, where you should watch Fear Street Part 2 depends on whether you enjoy the genre. Part 2 is a bit more straightforward than Part 1, other than the twist on the sole survivor. This one earns a pretty solid R-rating but isn’t too over the top. But, as a middle installment, I thought it was pretty fun.
