Fear Street Part One: 10 Reasons It’s A Perfect Slasher Movie

Based on the novels by R.L. Stine, Netflix’s Fear Street is a new trilogy of terror that feels right at home with classic slashers like Scream.

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Based on the novels by R.L. Stine, Netflix’s Fear Street is a new trilogy of terror that feels right at home with classic slashers of the ’80s and ’90s. However, it’s not because it merely takes place in a past decade or features a familiar-looking killer character; it’s because it perfectly executes the classic formula and more.

A good, old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness, mark-for-mark slasher film can be difficult to find nowadays. With such acts as Freddy and Jason already in the media, modern movie madmen simply fall short. Not on Fear Street. With the right moves, this trilogy might be just what the genre was looking for.

10 Characters Are Tropes But Not Cliched

Horror movie stereotypes exist for a reason because they work. Every good slasher flick has the final girl, the nerd, the leader, the jock, etc. However, Fear Street not only features these characters, but it uses them with purpose as well. The nerd is the nerd because it’s integral to the story, the slacker with a drug habit becomes an essential element in the plot. It all comes together for the film’s benefit.

Unlike films like Friday the 13th, the characters aren’t stereotypical cliches just to be fodder for the masked murderer. They have personality, depth, and honesty. These feel like people viewers can identify, and not just cardboard cutouts for the slaughter.

9 There’s A Balance Of Humor And Horror

Every decent slasher flick needs an ounce or two of humor, but what makes this one stand out from its modern contemporaries is just how balanced it is. It’s not a full horror-comedy in the vein of something like Gremlins or Killer Klowns From Outer Space, but it does have breaks in the tension with wit and humor.

The movie has its horror elements, which it uses to great effect, but it’s also kind enough to let the viewers breathe after each session of scares. R.L. Stine is a bonafide expert at creating this blend of balance in the Goosebumps series, and it seems to have transitioned perfectly to his adult material.

8 It Caters To Old And New Horror Fans

Every horror fan has to start somewhere, and all genres have that entry-level film to help viewers dip their toe in the proverbial waters. Fear Street is a prime example that not only introduces the slasher genre beautifully but provides enough fan service for those washed in the waters of classic horror.

The scares and slashers are just intense enough to keep veteran viewers interested, and the film’s plot, delivery, and general aesthetic are still user-friendly enough that the lightweights won’t be deterred. Simply put, the experience is more enjoyable when everyone can get involved.

7 Spectacle Does Not Detract From The Story

All slasher movies, regardless of era, need a certain amount of blood. It’s practically a requirement for the genre. And although Fear Street has plenty of kills to rack up its body count, it never ventures too far into excess territory to detract from Stine’s story.

Gratuitous gore does not a good horror movie make, and this movie totally understands that. It’s not a constant onslaught of bloodshed like some modern entries like Terrifier, but rather it sprinkles in each kill for an appropriate dose of shock. Not even the main protagonists are immune from harm.

6 Nostalgia Is A Flavor, Not An Entree

While Stranger Things might have perfected the use of nostalgia in a horror series, Fear Street definitely took notes. That being said, the number one thing the first film in the trilogy succeeds in nostalgia-wise is that it serves as an aesthetic and not the film’s entire identity.

The film is loaded with the comforting glow of the ’90s, but it’s never over the top about it. AOL is used, mixtapes are made, and a rousing game of a 16-bit Castlevania title is enjoyed, but aside from elements like those, the ’90s are never heavily saturated into the serious plotlines. It’s just the perfect touch of nostalgia.

5 Slashers Have A Simple Yet Effective Design

Of course, it wouldn’t be a slasher movie without at least one antagonist chasing the heroes while brandishing a sharp object. What makes the three villains of the past featured on Fear Street memorable is that they take inspiration from classic archetypes but manage to establish their own identity in the film’s universe.

There’s no question that the skull-masked slasher and the hooded hatchet man both draw from Scream and Friday the 13th Part II, but they look like something that would be featured on the cover of a Goosebumps book. Love for the genre is clearly demonstrated in their creation and delivery. Sometimes all you need is a mask and something sharp

4 The Killers Have An Element Of Reality

The slashers are also given a somewhat grounded element in their appearance and execution. Putting the supernatural element of their existence aside, Ryan Torres, Ruby Lane, and the Camp Nightwing Killer are all essentially puppets of the Witch but they’re given a realistic approach to their slasher identities.

They don’t wield anything over the top like a bladed glove, fish hook, or ginormous chainsaw, but are given what each character would have in hand. A Halloween costume and steak knife, a hatchet and hood, and a straight razor are all realistic enough to be taken seriously, but scary enough to warrant the right response.

3 There’s A Mix Of Supernatural And Straight Slasher

The mix of witch’s curse and classic slasher elements is also what helps give Fear Street a distinct identity amongst others of its genre. Sarah Fier’s 300-year-old curse offers an element of Blair Witch, minus the shaky cam nonsense, into the mix. This not only gives the slashers reason to exist but a more complex element than just a typical murder spree.

The supernatural elements presented feel genuinely threatening, and they’re not some ambiguous force that’s constantly been present in the town. It has its own story and reasoning to its existence that some similar plot devices lack, and that alone deserves some serious props.

2 The Elements Are There But Aren’t Overdone

The two biggest strengths the movie has going for it are its sense of balance and identity. It has all the right elements of a traditional slasher movie, but never overindulges or tries to press them too much to the forefront. By showing respect and restraint, the end product is polished and sharp as the slasher’s blade.

Combine the elements of identity and balance with the film’s great use of suspense, shock, and horror, and the result is a contemporary slasher that could stand alongside classics like Scream and Halloween.

1 R.L. Stine’s Style Is Present And Distinct

The series is based on the R.L. Stine novels of the same name, and the man behind the beloved Goosebumps series is more than capable of writing mature, R-rated horror to satisfy the audience who grew up with his trademark franchise. But what really drives it home is the film’s delivery and design.

The script is great, but the film as a whole feels like it exists in the same universe as the Goosebumps adaptations. The bright colors, focus on local horrors, and dark secrets are all core elements of the other series. All its really missing is an evil dummy and an author cameo.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/fear-street-part-one-reasons-perfect-slasher-movie/