REVIEW: 'Fear Street: Prom Queen' Is A Bloody Mess, In No Way Intended
- Moriba Forde
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
Welcome back to Shadyside. R.L. Stine's Fear Street film franchise that has been resurrected on Netflix. After seeing Fear Street: Prom Queen, I think it may be time for the streamer to put this horror saga back in its coffin.
Following the success of the Fear Street trilogy back in 2021, the powers that be at Netflix opted to explore this world further, originated by the mastermind, R.L. Stine, the author of the Fear Street book series. He is responsible for introducing many of us to the horror genre when we were kids with the likes of The Haunting Hour, The Nightmare Room, and, of course, Goosebumps. While Disney Plus and Sony have their hands on the Goosebumps reboot, fans have been hungry for more mature and bloodier horror from Stein's mind, so Netflix delivered, at least they tried to.
Fear Street: Prom Queen is the franchise's first stand-alone film adaptation since the 2021 trilogy. Directed and co-written by Matt Palmer, Prom Queen follows a social outcast vying for the coveted title of Prom Queen, only to end up in the middle of a conspiracy when her fellow candidates are murdered one by one by a masked psychopath. The film, intended to be a reward to patient Stine fans and a tribute to slasher flicks, turned out to be nothing more than a parody of itself, with weak writing, two likable characters out of a large cast, and inexcusably poor special effects with death scenes failing to induce any sense of dread.
Trouble At Shadyside
Fear Street: Prom Queen's storyline fails to reach the bar set by the preceding trilogy. The writing poorly reflects on R.L. Stine's legacy. Too much time is wasted building up to what is supposed to be the dramatic climax with the slasher. No one notices a deranged killer on the loose until only thirty-three minutes are left in the movie. By the time we get to the "big reveal" of the foe's identity, you can't help but roll your eyes because the plot twist is predictable, and the killer's origin is just a played-out slasher trope.
Sitting through a horror film without feeling scared at all is one of the worst things to experience as a fan or cinephile. Tragically, that is a result of watching Prom Queen. I was so traumatized by the Fear Street Trilogy that I strongly considered sprinkling my room with holy water before retiring to bed. No one wants to be traumatized, but they don't want to be bored like I was watching Prom Queen.
If you intend to make an R-rated slasher movie with a subpar story, at least focus on delivering kill scenes with quality production value. The deaths ranged from ridiculously stupid and hilariously bad due to poor special effects and pointless overacting. The fake blood is embarrassingly obvious, and dismembered limbs look like they were purchased at Spirit Halloween. The victims' overacting is frustrating, considering that the cast is the best thing about the film, despite there being only two likable characters.
Two Stand Out In The Faceless Crowd
There is not much of an issue regarding acting, but there is one with characterisation. Excluding the two main protagonists, the characters are hollow and lack nuance. Indica Fowler and Suzanna Son carry Prom Queen as far as possible as the leading characters, Lori Granger and Megan Rogers. They are the only characters with their personalities, as they understand how they can remain loyal to each other without compromising themselves. They have their differences, but their love stays the same. The same can not be said for almost everyone else, especially the mean girls.
It's hard to believe that five girls are running for Prom Queen when three of them are mindless drones serving their queen, Tiffany Falconer, played by Fina Strazza. We know cliques tend to remove the line separating church from state as they revere the most popular girl like a religious deity to maintain status at the top of the high school's hierarchy. Fear Street: Prom Queen paints that picture with a thin brush, using one colour, and shoves it in your face as the supporting cast share one identity around Tiffany.
No One Can Save Fear Street: Prom Queen
Fear Street: Prom Queen ultimately fails as a slasher flick. The storyline is thin, with little character development to be found. For a story uprooted from the darkest crevices of R.L. Stine's brilliant mind, there is nothing scary about this movie. It is a messy regurgitation of slasher tropes with cheap kills and no thrills.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
About Fear Street: Prom Queen
Premiere Date:Â May 23
Executive Producer: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, David Ready
Writer: Donald McLeary, Matt Palmer
Based on: Fear Street novels by R.L. Stine
Director: Matt Palmer
Production:Â Chernin Entertainment
Distribution:Â Netflix
Cast:Â India Fowler, Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, Chris Klein, Ariana Greenblatt, Lili Taylor, Katherine Waterston, Brennan Clost
Synopsis: A mysterious outsider running for Prom Queen at Shadyside High finds herself in the center of controversy when her fellow candidates are targeted by a mysterious killer on the loose.