‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Movie Review: R.L. Stine Series Spawns Bloody But Unremarkable ‘80s Slasher
Photo from IMDb
From Jeremy Kibler
Fear Street: Prom Queen is pretty much like attending your own prom: it’s kind of fun but never as memorable as you want it to be.
Based on R.L. Stine’s 1992 novel The Prom Queen from his YA series, this blood-soaked adaptation certainly brings down the hatchet, axe, and knife on some teenagers, but not much else. Following Netflix’s Fear Street exciting, spirited retro-slasher trilogy, director Matt Palmer’s Shadyside High slasher attempts but never captures that same marriage of colorful visual style, engaging characters, and compelling mythology. Being under the Fear Street name, one just can’t help but compare it to Leigh Janiak’s pitch-perfect trilogy. Whereas those three films felt like an event for horror-slasher fans who grew up on Robert Lawrence Stine, this feels like an unremarkable, made-for-TV throwaway.
We return to the cursed Ohio town of Shadyside, which neighbors the rich and privileged Sunnyvale, and this time, it’s 1988. Shadyside High senior Lori Granger (India Fowler) has been made an outcast for her mother killing her father out of self-defense. Her biggest support system comes from best friend Megan (Suzanna Son), a Fangoria-reading stoner who’s always trying to get a rise out of the popular kids. Senior Prom is fast approaching, and there are six candidates running, one of whom is Lori. The main one to beat is neighbor and lead mean girl Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), but soon enough, somebody in a red raincoat is taking out the candidates and spilling a lot of blood.
In a way, Fear Street: Prom Queen is more of a remake to the minor but still-notable 1980 whodunit-slasher pic Prom Night than the in-name-only remake from 2008. However, unlike that slow-burn of a Jamie Lee Curtis vehicle, writer-director Matt Palmer & co-writer Donald Mcleary waste little time, introducing all of the prom queens in broad strokes through Lori’s voice-over narration. Unfortunately, the characters still don’t feel fully realized, nor do they endear as much as they should, including our admittedly blah protagonist.
As the innocent Lori Granger, India Fowler is perfectly cast if only because her doe-eyed face belongs on a paperback Fear Street cover, and the same goes for Fina Strazza, who does dig into the part of ice-cold bitch Tiffany. Suzanna Son (who was such a find in Sean Baker’s Red Rocket) retains a likable edge as resident horror nerd Megan. Ella Rubin (Until Dawn) brings some shading as Melissa, a member of Tiffany’s posse, while the others don’t get enough time to make an impression. Ariana Greenblatt (probably the most familiar face) also gets little time to shine as prom candidate Christy, a weed dealer.
The adult cast doesn’t get much to play, particularly Lili Taylor as conservative Vice Principal Dolores Brekenridge. Katherine Waterston and Chris Klein at least get to ham it up as Tiffany’s well-to-do parents.
The production is dressed for the ‘80s, from the hairstyles to the clothes to Phantasm II on a movie theater marquee, but doesn’t always feel authentic in its era specificity. Music cues by Bananarama, Rosette, Duran Duran, and Eurythmics are also irresistible, and there’s a fun dance-off to Laura Branigan’s “Gloria.”
Besides a stare-down in the girl’s locker room that leads to a short-lived chase, moments of genuine unease are few. The film is at least gnarly enough in the gore department, surprising in the brutality of teenagers, whether it’s by hatchet or a paper cutter. Nobody wants to be that person that complains about there being too much CGI blood, but this will be one of those times. If you want anything as novel as “death by bread slicer,” though, forget it. Finally, the slasher whodunit—the point for all of the slashing, mind you—is also kind of a shrug, raising a few too many questions, despite a few unhinged performances.
It’s serviceable enough for those who need a quick slasher itch, but that’s not where we should be as a horror community, people! Fear Street: Prom Queen should have been more fun with more personality and a bit more bite, like a true queen.
Rating: 2/5
Fear Street: Prom Queen is currently streaming on Netflix.
