The latest entry in Netflix’s Fear Street franchise, Fear Street: Prom Queen, had the potential to be a sharp, satirical blend of horror and comedy in the vein of Scream or Heathers. Unfortunately, what we get instead is a bland, paint-by-numbers slasher that lacks both the bite and the brains of the original trilogy. Where the first three Fear Street films delivered clever, nostalgic thrills with solid performances and real genre love, this sequel feels like it was hastily assembled by committee, without much regard for tone, style, or substance.
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On paper, the plot follows the familiar blueprint: Lori Granger (India Fowler), the quiet, misunderstood girl with a dark family past, becomes an unlikely prom queen nominee alongside a group of mean girls. When the big night arrives, the bodies start dropping. But despite the abundance of blood (mostly digital and unconvincing), there’s precious little suspense. The kills are uninspired, often featuring a killer who magically appears out of nowhere despite the wide open surroundings.
The film’s biggest letdown is its dialogue by director Matt Palmer and Donald McLeary, based on R.L. Stine’s book series. What should have been a whip-smart, referential ride through teen horror tropes ends as a slog of flat one-liners and cringe-inducing clichés. There’s no edge, no wit, just cardboard conversations that feel ripped from a rejected CW pilot. Worse, the film seems unsure whether it wants to parody ‘80s horror or pay homage to it, and ends up doing neither. There’s one scene where our good girl and bad girl have a random dance-off that comes out of nowhere. It seems way out of character for our good girl, and isn’t staged or set up to be knowingly ridiculous. It just is.
This movie is not a love letter; it’s a Xerox copy.
That said, India Fowler is a genuine highlight. As Lori, she brings warmth and nuance to a character who might’ve otherwise felt like a genre stock type. She’s got the quiet resilience of Shailene Woodley mixed with the sharp vulnerability of Kaitlyn Dever, and she makes you root for Lori even when the script lets her down.
The supporting cast is more uneven. Palmer directs Fina Strazza to play Queen Bee Tiffany like a cartoon villain, with all eye-rolls and venom, but the performance feels rigid and has zero awareness of its unnatural silliness. It’s not the actress’s fault; it’s the director who takes the lazy approach to a well-worn genre. Others, like Katherine Waterston as Tiffany’s overbearing aerobics-loving mom, and ‘80s icons Lili Taylor and Chris Klein, seem to be in on the joke, at least having fun with their campy roles even if it doesn’t quite gel with the rest of the movie.
Ultimately, Fear Street: Prom Queen lacks a point of view. Horror at its best reflects more profound social, political, or psychological anxieties. Here, it’s all surface-level gore and trope rehashing, with little to say and even less to make you care. With a sharper script and a clearer vision, this could’ve been a bloody fun night to remember. Instead, it’s a prom no one’s likely to RSVP to again.
Fear Street: Prom Night will be available to stream on Netflix starting May 23, 2025.
