Film: Fear Street Part 2: 1978
Starring: Sadie Sink, Chiara Aurelia, McCabe, Benjamin Flores Jr., Kiana Madeira, Emily Rudd, Jordan’s Spiro
Director: Leigh Janiak
Review: Klep Napier
Rating: 4X’s out of 5X’s
Fear Street continues to shock us with the second installment to Netflix’s mini trilogy based on R.L. Stine’s teen horror book series.
Starring Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) Fear Street Part: 2 1978 pays homage to the killer campground era of horror movies bringing back all the bloody nostalgia from Friday The 13th and Sleepaway Camp. But this time the kids from Shadyville [Denna and Josh] learn that the only way to move forward is to go back to the beginning when the mysterious C. Berman [Emily Rudd] finally reveals herself giving them a lesson about the history of Shadyville and a possible town curse that started at Camp Nightwing, by the witch They call, Sarah Fier.
Unlike Fear Street 1994, this film has a slow start giving us quite a bit of storyline before the blood hits the fan. The story begins where part one left us in present time but once it flashes back, cliche tropes like counselors slacking off, teens sneaking away to indulge in sex, drugs and 70’s rock n roll, bullies tormenting nerds of course a “Ralph The Town Crazy” type ala Nurse Mary Lane played by Jordan’s Spiro.
But let’s not waste anytime. Let’s talk about 1978’s ability to put you right back where you were the very first time you saw say a Friday The 13th and or a Sleepaway camp. After watching 1994, our overall ideology for this franchise was that it was a rated R Nickelodeon series with some light hearted humor. But part 2 1978 took a turn for the darker! Not only do the kids seem a lot more mature but the content like borderline graphic sexual situations and violence take the forefront antying up both the edginess and body count.
This IS NOT for kids folks. But that also is what makes it good. Fear 2 (1978) manages to do with teen horrors what Hollywood has been cautious of doing for the last decade or so by putting the R’s back in hoRRoR. This is the way slasher buffs enjoy their dish served and Netflix is not afraid to turn the heat up in the kitchen in order to prep the right serving to it’s audience.
Again, keep this away from the younger kiddos but overall should definitely peak the interest of newbies old enough to get there feet soaked in a blood fest for the first time. This one is a step or two up in gore from its predecessor.
Both Fear Street Part one and Two are streaming on Netflix now!