History Film / FearStreet

''Fear Street'' is a trilogy of films based on the [[Literature/FearStreet books]] by Creator/RLStine. In a unique move, each film was released just a week apart, with all of them made at once. The plot of each film is as follows.

* GenreThrowback: Each entry in the trilogy takes inspiration from a different era of horror. The first, ''1994'', takes inspiration from the more {{meta|Fiction}} slashers of TheNineties like ''Film/{{Scream}}''. The second, ''1978'', is a more traditional '70s/'80s summer camp slasher like ''Franchise/FridayThe13th''. The final entry, ''1666'', is evocative of period-centric horror films such as ''Film/TheWitch''.

* SeeminglyWholesomeFiftiesGirl: Ruby Lane, who murdered her friends in TheSixties thanks to being possessed and who appears as one of the undead killers.

* TheSeventies: Most of the movie takes place in the summer of 1978, with the music, hairstyles, and sexual mores featuring prominently. Only the fashions are noticeably absent because the action takes place in a summer camp, and everyone is wearing very practical outfits.

The films were released on Creator/{{Netflix}} on July 2, 9, and 16 of 2021 respectively. In January 2024, Stein [[https://deadline.com/2024/01/r-l-stine-confirms-new-fear-street-film-on-way-from-netflix-1235790299/ confirmed]] that a fourth ''Fear Street'' movie was in development; this time being a standalone installment based on ''The Prom Queen'', the fifteenth book in the series.

The films were released on Creator/{{Netflix}} on July 2, 9, and 16 of 2021 respectively.

* AdaptationAmalgamation: The movies are a combination of several different plotlines from the various book series: the ''Fear Street Cheerleaders'' series about the spirit of Sarah Fear/Fier tormenting the characters after a bush crash disturbs her grave, ''Lights Out'' about the Camp Nightwing massacre, and ''The Fear Street Saga'' trilogy showing [[spoiler:the ''real'' origin of the curse and the start of the feud between the Fiers and the Goodes]].

* EvilIsPetty:
** In ''1994'' not only does Peter insult victims of a massacre at their vigil, but he harasses their friends while wearing a copy of the mask the killer was wearing when they were killed. Not in revenge for any serious slight, but because they dared to state that they weren't the scum he states they are.
** [[spoiler: Nick routinely arrests Marvin on trumpted up charges, not only because he knows he can get away with it but also just because he can.]]

* FreezeFrameBonus: The opening credits montage at the start of ''1994'' can be paused at any time: some of the writing is from Nurse Lane's journal and all the newspaper clippings can be read as actual reports on the massacres.

* {{Homage}}: All films continue specific homages to their inspirations:

* MeaningfulName: This applies to both Sunnyvale and Shadyside.
** "Sunnyvale" indicates brightness, prosperity, and beauty, as "vale" is an alternate name for valley.
** "Shadyside" indicates darkness, shadiness, and unimportance.

* SupernaturallyMarkedGrave: The locations where Sarah Fier's body and hand are buried are both covered in a red moss. [[spoiler:The moss came from from Hannah's crown, and seemingly grew in remembrance of their love]].

* CallForward: Kate brings the children she's babysitting over to an elderly neighbor, [[spoiler:Ruby Lane's mother,]] who we would come to see more of as the camp nurse in Part Two: 1978. Although technically a CallBack, since the sequel is actually a prequel.

* CelebrityParadox: The ''Fear Street'' books seen in the opening are written by "Robert Lawrence", meaning R.L. Stine exists in this universe and instead uses his first and middle names as his pen name.

* AmbiguousDisorder: C. Berman requires a large number of alarm clocks to regulate every aspect of her daily routine, from eating to checking the locks in her house, to feeding her dog. This implies that she's not capable of functioning without them. The way Josh reacts to [[spoiler:the reveal that she was Ziggy]] also implies that she told the entire story of the 1978 events in the third person.

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Cindy actually manages to kill Tommy as he's on the verge of ending Ziggy and has become fully consumed by the persona of the Camp Nightwing Slasher, putting him down for a few minutes, only for Ziggy to accidentally bleed on the severed right hand of Sarah Fier, invoking the witch's curse, which then revives all the Shadyside killers, including Tommy, who still has his old body at that point, rather than being formed from OminousObsidianOoze like the others. Tommy is again put down by being [[OffWithHisHead decapitated via Shovel]], but by that point has become a full-on ImplacableMan like the rest of the killers, and returns shortly thereafter with the rest to finish off Cindy and Ziggy]].

* ForegoneConclusion: Well, we know that Tommy ends up being a killer and the sisters fail to stop the curse thanks to events depicted in ''1994''.

--> '''Ziggy:''' You cursed.
--> '''Cindy:''' It's becoming a habit

* ImplacableMan: {{DoubleSubverted}}. Unlike the rest of the killers from 1994, [[spoiler: Tommy]] is subjected to DemonicPossession, but is still in a living mortal body, and can be killed and put down like any other human, much like Skull Mask was in the beginning of 1994. [[spoiler: Then Ziggy accidentally bleeds on Sarah Fier's hand, which results in the curse resurrecting all it's immortal killers to end her, Tommy now included amongst their number]].

* KickTheDog: After facing a verbal beat down from Becky, [[spoiler:Jeremy]] receives a face full of egg from a group of Sunnyvale campers [[spoiler: and a face full of axe from Tommy]].

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Happens multiple times to Sheila during her rivalry with Ziggy:
** After hanging Ziggy by her arms from a tree, Sheila gets too close to her and receives an elbow to the nose.
** Sheila ends up locked in an outhouse covered in leeches and bugs in a revenge prank after vandalizing Ziggy's bunk.
** She attacks Ziggy as the latter tries to warn her of the axe-wielding maniac wreaking havoc on the camp, earning her a punch to the face and loss of consciousness.

-->'''Ziggy:''' [[ItMakesSenseInContext My sister's in the toilet!]]
-->'''Gary:''' What?

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Nurse Lane had been researching the curse after her daughter went on an unprovoked rampage. She'd [[spoiler: discovered the origin site of the curse and the names of the killers carved into stone, and had figured out that someone's name will appear on the stone before they become possessed and go on a rampage all before the film even starts.]] As such, [[spoiler: she knows who the film's main killer is going to be and tries to murder him before he can kill anyone innocent, as she hadn't fully figured out the curse's true nature and how to free a possession victim. Nobody does until 1994, in fact.]]

* AmbiguouslyEvil: Mary, the supposed witch. [[spoiler:She has the witch's book, but seems to warn Sarah away from touching it and is never seen performing any curses. The killings don't start until after Solomon kills her and makes a DealWithTheDevil.]]
* AnArmAndALeg: As foretold by the legends surrounding Sarah Fier in the previous movies, her hand gets cut off. [[spoiler:However, unlike what the legends say, it was not cut off by Sarah herself in order to cast the curse, but rather by Solomon Goode during their struggle after she discovered that ''he'' was the one behind the curse.]]

* TheEndingChangesEverything: Once learning that [[spoiler:Sarah Fier was an innocent victim that Solomon Goode used as a scapegoat for his own crimes]] absolutely ''everything'' that we've seen in the previous two films is flipped on its head: [[DoubleMeaning most of Nick Goode's dialogue]], the discrepancy in the socio-economic status between Sunnyvale and Shadyside, the reason behind all the Shadyside serial killers -- even the true nature of the red moss, which is initially depicted as something strange and sinister, and is instead [[spoiler:a symbol of the love between Sarah and Hannah]].

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler:A still-possessed Sam gets free and attacks Deena while she's hunting Sheriff Goode in the tunnels of the witch's mark, but unlike with Heather and Ryan in the opening of ''1994'', Deena's pleas for Sam to recognize her ''do'' actually [[ThePowerOfLove get through to Sam]] long enough for Deena to safely knock her out.]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Not only does Caleb get away with framing Sarah and Hannah as the witches but is also hailed as a hero by the Union.]]

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Solomon Goode has a look of pure horror as he sees what Pastor Miller did to the town's children because of his curse. His guilt doesn't last, though, as he becomes a MisanthropeSupreme upon seeing the town whipping itself into a frenzy to lynch two innocent young women, one of whom he is in love with.]]
** {{Downplayed}}, but the townsfolk collectively quieten down from their mob frenzy at the sight of [[spoiler:Sarah's body hanging from the tree]] and there are a few perturbed faces as they silently leave.

* OhCrap: After TheReveal, [[spoiler: Nick Goode]] shows up to question Josh on the side of the road.

* StupidEvil: {{Justified}}. The Shadyside killers are little more than mindless puppets of the curse, with no thought or agency of their own. Accordingly, they can be easily distracted or led around by the blood of their current target, as the kids used against them in 1994, [[spoiler: and again here, where they trick them into getting trapped inside the mall shops, attacking each other when doused with the blood, and almost killing Sheriff Goode once they dump a bucket of the stuff on top of him, even though his death would destroy the killers as well]].

* ExtravertedNerd: Jeremy, who is glad to offer refreshments and games to the aloof Becky and his other Color War captives, as well as threatening the Sunnyvalers who comes to their rescue. Sure, he is met with a resounding, "Shut the fuck up, nerd," and receives multiple eggs to the face, but he takes them with a grain of salt. [[spoiler: This all ends when the axe-wielding Tommy finds him.]]

''Part One: 1994'': In 1994, a group of teenagers find out that the terrifying events that have occurred in their cursed town of Shadyside, Ohio, may be connected to each other. They may also be the next targets.

** The curse doesn't only get violent people to give into their cravings. It transforms innocent people into killers, traps their souls in slavery, [[spoiler:and drain prosperity out of Shadyside. All while hunting the people close to learning the truth.]]

** Fear Street 1994 features the characters listening to numerous songs: "Your Woman", "More Human Than Human", "I'm Only Happy When it Rains" and "Firestarter", all of which were released in 1995-1997. Likewise Josh uses an AOL Chatroom with sounds that didn't exist until 1997, and the Calibri font (clearly labeled as such onscreen, to boot) that wouldn't be created until ''2007''.

* CanonForeigner: Nearly everyone (including the entirety of Sunnyvale) besides Sarah Fier, [[spoiler:and even she has little in common with her literary counterpart outside of being TheScapegoat for the evil force, which has been changed from Sarah Burns to the Goode family (who exist in the books, though none of the Goodes that are featured in the films are directly based on any of the Goodes from the novels)]].

** In 1994, after Deena confronts a cop (to steal his gun,) the cop tell her and Sam to "Call your boyfriends and tell them you need to relax" or YouNeedToGetLaid, and nothing is remarked on it. Nowadays that would be a fireable offence and grounds for a sexual harrasement suit.

* {{Determinator}}: Deena is unshakably dedicated to finding a way to [[spoiler:save Sam, first from the undead killers hunting her and then from DemonicPossession]], even if she has to go up against a vengeful witch [[spoiler:(in actual fact the literal Devil)]] and end a three hundred year old curse to do so.

** In ''1994'' not only does Peter insult victims of a massacre at their vigil, but he harrasses their friends while wearing a copy of the mask the killer was wearing when they were killed. Not in revenge for any serious slight, but because they dared to state that they weren't the scum he states they are.

** The witch's curse perfectly explains why Shadyside has such terrible luck, but does not explain why Sunnyvale has such incredible luck. [[spoiler:A DealWithTheDevil made by a Sunnyvale resident, however...]]

* GenderMisdirection: For the first fifteen minutes or so after Deena's introduction, her ex's gender is left deliberately vague -- she's referred to only by the [[GenderBlenderName gender-neutral nickname]] of "Sam" with no pronouns attached, and when Deena is shown staring jealously at Sam and Peter, it's unclear which one she's focusing on -- allowing for the reveal that Sam is a girl to be a surprise to an audience making the heteronormative assumption. The effect is somewhat undercut by the fact that anyone paying attention to promotional material would likely know this already, however.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: After everyone in their group changes clothes, Simon picks up on the fact that the other four have all taken the opportunity to get at least some action with their respective romantic interest. After confronting the two couples about it, he says, "Me too."

* DeathBySex:
** [[spoiler:Joan]] has her face hacked open right after a steamy hookup session with [[spoiler:Kurt]].
** [[spoiler:Alice]], introduced with a sex scene, also bites the dust, though it happens much later. Her boyfriend [[spoiler:Arnie]], however, is the first victim.

* AnAxeToGrind: The Camp Nightwing slasher, who is one of the Curse's henchmen in ''1994'' and the central killer in ''1978'', wields one as his weapon. In 1994, he buries it in [[spoiler:Simon's]] head.

* StupidEvil: {{Justified}}. The Shadyside killers are little more than mindless puppets of the curse, with no thought or agency of their own. Accordingly, they can be easily distracted or lead around by the blood of their current target, as the kids used against them in 1994, [[spoiler: and again here, where they trick them into getting trapped inside the mall shops, attacking each other when doused with the blood, and almost killing Sheriff Goode once they dump a bucket of the stuff on top of him, even though his death would destroy the killers as well]].

* WitchHunt: The townsfolk of Union begin one of these, complete with TorchesAndPitchforks, after Pastor Miller's possession and murder of twelve children, followed by other hardships and omens, leads them to believe that someone has made a DealWithTheDevil and cursed the town. [[spoiler:Sarah and Hannah become their targets after Caleb accuses them of witchcraft, because Hannah had rejected him earlier and Sarah had defended her.]]

* AnAxeToGrind: The Camp Nightwing slasher, who is one of the Curse's henchmen in ''1994'' and the central killer in ''1978'', wields one as his WeaponOfChoice. In 1994, he buries it in [[spoiler:Simon's]] head.

** Taken UpToEleven during the montage of several generations of Goodes [[spoiler: sacrificing Shadysiders to the devil]], as they are all played by the same two actors who played Nick Goode, with different hairstyles and facial hair.

** Fear Street 1994 features the characters listening to numerous songs: Your Woman, More Human Than Human, I'm Only Happy When it Rains and Firestarter, that were released later in the decade. Likewise Josh uses an AOL Chatroom with sounds that didn't exist until 1997, and the Calibri font (clearly labeled as such onscreen, to boot) that wouldn't be created uintil ''2007''.

** Fear Street 1994 features the characters listening to numerous songs: Your Woman, More Human Than Human, I'm Only Happy When it Rains and Firestarter, that were released later in the decade. Likewise Josh uses an AOL Chatroom with sounds that didn't exist until 1997.

* AcademicAlphaBitch: Kate, who is both the valedictorian and TheCheerleader, and is selling drugs to make enough money to leave Shadyside.

* BrokenAesop: The film's negative portrayal of the witch trial mentality is undermined by the fact that the villagers of Union were entirely correct in assigning blame for the killings and the town's misfortunes to the presence of a witch in their midst. Instead, all that they did wrong was [[spoiler: getting the wrong girl because of rumors without having proof.]] Though arguably, that's actually the point. The witch hunt mentality [[spoiler:kept them from seeing the truth]].
** YMMV on that as it’s worth mentioning that while most of the village was ProperlyParanoid there were at least two villagers like Caleb and [[spoiler: Solomon]] who knew that the girls were innocent but still took advantage of the grief and paranoia of the other villagers to scapegoat the girls to enact revenge for their own petty reasons.

* AdultFear: Pastor Miller gathers all of the town’s children into the church building, locks the doors, and doesn’t respond to anyone’s increasingly desperate questioning. Solomon eventually manages to break open the door, and he and the rest the town see that the pastor has ''murdered'' all of their children by gouging their eyes out, before doing the same to himself.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: Mary, the supposed witch. [[spoiler:She has the witch's book, but seems to warn Sarah away from touching it and is never seen performing any curses. The killings don't start until after Solomon kills her makes a DealWithTheDevil.]]

* SequelHook: The film ends with an unseen person [[spoiler: stealing the book Solomon Goode used to cast the curse.]] The director has confirmed that the intent of this scene was to create a sort of slasher movie equivalent to the Film/MarvelCinematicUniverse.