Movie Breakdown: Fear Street Part Two: 1978

Pre-Screening Stance:

Fear Street Part One: 1994 was a lot of fun, and I’m expecting Fear Street Part Two: 1978 to also be a good time. On another note, who the heck is responsible for these awkward titles?

Post-Screening Ramble:

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 is a notch below the first entry in the trilogy, but it’s still a solid effort. The film picks up right where Part One: 1994 ends, with Deena (Kiana Madeira) and Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.) at a loss with how to help a pissed off and possessed Sam (Olivia Scott Welch). This – very quickly, might I add – leads them to a mysterious woman (Gillian Jacobs), who then recounts a story from the summer of 1978 at Camp Nightwing.

First up, if for some reason you skipped Part One: 1994, you should definitely watch it before hitting play here, as this movie is not only book-ended by events and characters from it, but everything in-between has varying degrees of connectivity as well.

Secondly, Part Two: 1978 is one amped up affair, which is both a good and not-so-good thing. It really works when it comes to what’s expected out of a slasher film set at a summer camp – there’s taboo teen sex, obnoxious bullies, problematic group activities (in this case it’s a “Color War”), and gruesome kills. The way over the top approach doesn’t quite land on the character front though, and that’s my only real issue with this movie. They’re all simply just too loud, too obtuse and … well, just too much, which made me very indifferent in regards to who lives or dies. There has to be someone to root for!

Overall, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 is an enjoyable next step in the Fear Street Trilogy, and you should check it out when it hits Netflix this Friday, July 9.

One Last Thought:

Shadysiders are just so damn dramatic, you know?