Following a series of brutal slayings, a group of teens realize town folklore is real. Setting out to fight an evil force that has plagued their town for hundreds of years. Welcome to Shadyside.
Kiana Madeira (Deena), Olivia Welch (Sam), Benjamin Flores Jr. (Josh), Julia Rehwald (Kate), Maya Hawke (Heather), Charlene Amoia (Rachel), Ashley Zukerman (Goode), Jeremy Ford (Peter), Noah Garret (Skull Mask).
Based on the books of the same name from R.L. Stine, this first installment of the trilogy begins nicely with some character introductions and storyline setup before shifting smoothing to the main plot. The story, unrolled in reverse in the trilogy, builds depth quickly while entertaining as only a teen scream can. Things move along at a brisk pace without excessive focus on the horror with a preference for drama. This first film doesn't quite finish as expected, but does leave us ready for more.
Acting was entertaining with Madeira doing a decent job, as did Welch, and the two seemed to work well together. Flores fit his role well, as did Rehwald who delivered nicely. Zukerman was appropriately dark and suspicious, while Ford delivered nicely. The remainder of the cast was solid.
Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are nicely done with good variety and a reasonably solid feel. VFX and physical effects are integrated well and the film flows nicely. Dialogue has good depth for the genre and moves things along, as does the focused and enjoyable soundtrack.
Overall Fear Street: Part One - 1994 is a good start to the trilogy. While a younger cast and dialogue point the series toward a younger audience, the full-length film approach and storyline spanning all 3 episodes grabs older audience attention as well. Those who enjoy modern horror flicks should enjoy this series.
With a fair amount of sexuality, plenty of violence, gore, foul language, and potentially disturbing images and scenes, this should be fine for older teens and above.
Released: 2021
Reviewed: 10.24.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Teen Screams, LGBTQ Films, Horror Series, Mystery
copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel
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