'Fear Street: Prom Queen' is a nostalgic horror that misses the slasher thrills
A terrifying scene from 'Fear Street: Prom Queen', which is set in 1988.
Image: X/@mcumagik
A little bit of nostalgia can be a sweet escape, but not when it's served cold and bland.
"Fear Street: Prom Queen", Netflix's latest addition to the "Fear Street" franchise, tries to blend '80s camp with teen slasher horror but ends up limping somewhere between laughably corny and painfully dull.
Set in 1988, the film follows Lori Granger, played by India Fowler, a shy outsider at Shadyside High with dreams of winning the coveted prom queen title.
Haunted by a vicious rumour tied to her family, Lori believes that if she can snag the crown, she'll finally shake her bad rep and change her destiny.
She's tired of being the town's punchline, so in a bid to reclaim her narrative, she signs up to compete against the usual suspects: the mean girl, the influencer, the try-hard, and the token rebel.
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Alongside her horror-loving best friend Megan (played with decent charm by Suzanna Son), Lori embarks on a journey that quickly takes a sinister turn. One by one, the prom queen hopefuls start dying because Shadyside, surprise, surprise, is cursed. Again.
It all sounds promising, especially for slasher fans who enjoy a high school setting with blood-splattered prom dresses and cheesy one-liners. But where the concept screams classic horror fun, the execution is anything but.
Director Matt Palmer goes for the retro look- neon lockers, dated pop hits, and big hair - but forgets the fundamental rule of horror: build tension.
The film flatlines in the scares department. Death scenes feel rushed and uninspired, with little creativity or suspense.
The film follows Lori Granger played by India Fowler, a shy outsider at Shadyside High with dreams of winning the coveted prom queen title.
Image: X/@mcumagik
The killer looks like they wandered out of a Halloween clearance bin, and even the goriest moment, someone fumbling with a door after losing their hands, is more comedic than chilling.
Worse still, the characters are as bland as the plot. We're reintroduced to the typical American high school ecosystem: the stoners, the geeks, the plastic queens and the loners.
There's no fresh spin, no attempt at subversion, just recycled tropes we've seen since the first Scream trailer hit the airwaves.
Lori is sympathetic, sure, but her drive to become prom queen feels oddly dated and disconnected from any modern sensibility. In a world on fire, this storyline feels like it belongs in a burned-out VHS tape.
Everything feels watered down. Even the big twist (yes, there's always one) is more 'meh' than 'mind-blowing.'
Visually, the film does attempt to stay true to its retro setting. The outfits, neon lighting, and synth-heavy score do give a nod to '80s horror classics.
But style without substance doesn't cut it. If you're going to bathe your film in nostalgia, at least give it some teeth.
"Fear Street: Prom Queen" has no edge. No chills. No urgency. It feels like a horror film made by people who watched horror movies once and decided that was enough.
It might appeal to fans of the franchise desperate for more content, but for everyone else, or most of us, it's a forgettable flick.
In short? If you're hoping for a proper scare or even a guilty-pleasure slasher thrill, keep looking. This one's more prom fail than prom queen.
Rating: ** significant flaws but some merit
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