We’re back in Shadyside, but this time we’re in 1988, gearing up for the event of the year: the Shadyside High School Prom. Based on the book by beloved horror author R.L. Stine, Fear Street: Prom Queen is Netflix’s fourth entry in their Fear Street series. Leigh Janiak’s 2021 trilogy was released one week after another. It was successful for the streaming platform while also being a well-told story with strong characters. So naturally, when Prom Queen was announced, expectations were high. Unfortunately, this latest entry feels less like a sequel and more like a lifeless spin-off.
An 80s Cosplay, NOT 80s Horror
Directed and co-written by Matt Palmer, Fear Street: Prom Queen is about Lori Granger (India Fowler) and her desire to rewrite her narrative by becoming the prom queen of Shadyside High. Growing up haunted by something her mother did before she was born, she wants something different for herself. She is up against the rich and snobby teen girl Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza) and her band of copy-and-paste followers. Lori spends her prom night shedding her old self and doing what it takes to get the votes for prom queen. Meanwhile, the other candidates are being taken out by a masked killer one by one.
It is clear Palmer has seen an 80s slasher a time (or two). He attempts to inject 80s feelings into the movie with random grainy VHS filters, vintage costuming, and a stellar soundtrack. However, all we are left with is a slasher dressed up in 80s cosplay with nowhere to go. It’s giving aesthetic without the energy or the passion.
Who Are These People?
While Tiffany is set on getting the crown, she is also fighting to keep her boyfriend, Tyler (David Iacono). He can’t seem to keep his eyes off Lori whenever she is in the room. Yet Tiffany doesn’t let Lori forget the truth of her past and how she and her best friend Megan (Suzanna Son) are doing nothing but ruining their prom. Though Palmer gives Lori and Tiffany a backstory and a few characterizations of the other players in the story, these characters are paper-thin. So, when the film has its serious and emotional moments, they don’t land. Even the side characters felt like add-ins who had two lines in their character profiles.
The previous Fear Street films balance the story, kills, and suspense with care. Where Prom Queen feels like it was thrown together as a quick cash grab with the Fear Street name without much thought to what made the original trilogy work so well.
Is Nostalgia Enough?
There is a place in the genre for the tried and true slasher formula when it’s done right. However, there’s also room for evolution, and this film failed at accomplishing either of these. Though Palmer’s script is lifeless and dry, he does manage to give us a couple of creative kills, even though the performances don’t fully evoke the fear you’d expect. Palmer doesn’t grasp the tone of the slasher he is attempting to make, and it feels empty and pointless. While I am always for evolving the horror genre, in this case, I think the writers should have stuck to what works. The film struggles to decide whether it wants to honor the genre or reinvent it.
Final Thoughts
Fear Street: Prom Queen had potential and should have been a no-brainer. Instead, the film is a forgettable entry that lacks the depth, personality, and punch of its predecessors. It plays dress-up with the 80s but never brings the heart. It tries to do too much with little to say, and it ends up being a muddled story with bloody kills. To expand the Fear Street franchise past Prom Queen, the writers are going to need to get back to what made it special in the first place. Strong characters, tight storytelling, and a genuine love for the genre, not just a costume party with a body count.
Fear Street: Prom Queen is now streaming on Netflix.
