The Fear Street Trilogy feels like a series of horror movies I was scared to watch as a kid but did anyway and ended up peeing the bed because I was too afraid to go out to the bathroom. It feels like a trilogy I would revisit as a teen and appreciate more but definitely be less afraid of. It feels like a trilogy I revisited as an adult and, holy shit, it actually holds up; it wasn't made for me but it didn't need to be. Its core demographic is clearly Young Adults but its YA sensibilities are almost delusive: the violence is surprisingly harsh and sometimes downright tragic (there's a death in one of these that genuinely had my mouth hung open). This is Stranger Things with guts.
Considering how splintered the Big 4 Slasher Franchises' sequels are (Halloween, Nightmare On Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday The 13th), Fear Street is the most successful Slasher franchise of all time and the most ambitious outside of Child's Play (which didn't find its footing until 2017). FS has a plan and, most importantly, follow-through. The way it takes its time setting up its mythology, history, and rules is something most franchises fumble to do (because no one knows what to do with them). Like, Halloween tried the 'Thorn Curse' thing and the nonsensical shit they introduced in Jason Goes To Hell and Freddy's Dead was foolish and desperate. FS's story spans 300 years and ends in a completely satisfying way. Hell, they set up 4 of their monsters over the course of the trilogy and then manage to have a fun Freddy Vs. Jason-type showdown with them - I fucking cheered. We're in a Slasher Renaissance and this is, so far, the crown jewel. A-
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