Fear Street Part 2: 1978 Parent Guide

Picking up where Fear Street:1994 finished off, Deena (Kiana Madeira) and Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.) have found the reclusive C Berman (Gillian Jacobs). They hope that she will be able to help them remove the witch’s curse from Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) but she isn’t optimistic, and her pessimism is rooted in her experiences at Camp Nightwing in 1978. So, to help them understand, Berman tells the teens everything that happened on her summer vacation 16 long years ago, a story that starts as a simple trip to summer camp and ends in blood, tragedy, and heartbreaking loss…

Although fear is quite literally in the name, the Fear Street movies continue to struggle with generating any good scares. Sure, they’re plenty gory, but I’m a fan of more atmospheric horror, the kind of movies that not only don’t tell you what’s around that next corner, but which manage to frighten you while you’re still in the dark. But Fear Street isn’t about subtlety. If your number one fear is people being brutally murdered with a double-bitted axe, then this is going to give you nightmares for years. If, however, you’re looking for tension, or suspense, or those long periods of breathless anticipation you get in other horror flicks…you’re out of luck.

Speaking of other horror movies, mimicking them seems to be the entire point of Fear Street. This franchise is, so far, less about scares and more about referencing as many other films in the genre as possible. Set in 1978, this one cashes in on the burgeoning slasher genre from the time. Obviously, the biggest influence is Friday the 13^th, but there are references to Carrie, The Exorcist, Halloween, and a full scene of shots borrowed from my personal favorite horror film of all time, The Shining. I mean, if you’re going to have an axe-wielding maniac terrorizing someone, you may as well borrow from the best. A tip for those of you planning to watch this flick – to enjoy it, you’re going to have to change your expectations. Don’t go in expecting a scare: go on an easter egg hunt for other movies.

As with the previous entry in the series, this is grossly unsuitable for younger viewers. Much like the slasher flicks it emulates, this has a lot more teen sex and drug use than you typically see in contemporary films. It’s also excessively gory. Friday the 13^th is a good benchmark: If you’re comfortable with that, you’ll be fine with this.

If it’s any consolation, Fear Street 1978 has the same attitude to morality as other slasher movies: Teens who have sex, do drugs, or are just plain rude are usually the first on the chopping block. Apparently, psychotic murderers are big believers in an “abstinence only” approach, and more than willing to enforce that belief with big sharp things. Cautionary tale or not, though, I don’t think this is going to rank too high on anyone’s choices for family movie night.