Fear Street: Prom Queen Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

The return to Shadyside is, unfortunately, less cut-throat than its predecessors. Trying to mime classic 80s slashers, this latest chapter ends up being generic to a fault. 

Genre: Horror / Mystery 

Director: Matt Palmer

Cast: India Fowler, Fina Strazza, Suzanna Son, Katherine Waterston, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, Rebecca Ablack, Ilan O’Driscoll, Lili Taylor & Chris Klein.

Run Time: 90 min.

US Release: 23 May 2025 (Netflix)

UK Release: 23 May 2025 (Netflix)

German Release: 23 May 2025 (Netflix)

I had a lot of fun with Netflix’s original trilogy, based on R.L. Stine’s teenage horror book series. They weren’t groundbreaking, but they knew how to entertain well, plus they kept me engaged throughout. It also managed to dodge the 80s era, which the media was over-focusing on, rather centring on the 90s, 70s, as well as ending it with a solid, terrifying period piece that played during colonial America. Prom Queen takes us back to 1980s Shadyside, playing after Part 2, though never referencing any of the happenings of 1978. So is it any good? Figure it out, as you slash with me through this review.

Prom season in Shadyside High is underway, with the school's Wolfpack of ‘it’ girls busy with its usual sweet, yet savage campaigns for the crown. When one contender after the other starts to disappear, a gutsy outsider figures out she is in for one hell of a night. 

Four years after the success of Leigh Janiak’s trilogy on Netflix’s platform, Fear Street returns to streaming, with a new instalment. Sadly, it wasn’t directed by Janiak herself, who did state interest in returning to the franchise, to direct a slasher that takes place in the 50s. Instead, the whole creative team was exchanged, with Matt Palmer taking on directing, as well as co-writing duties. The source material would be adapted from R.L. Stine’s “The Prom Queen” from his series.

Praise needs to go where it is earned, and the one thing that is certain is that the writers captured the essence of 80s era youngster horror, as they blended teen drama with classic slasher terror. It also included a first, unpredictable twist reveal. However, that is where the compliments end. The plot quickly falls apart, utilising uninspired, clichéd tropes from classic body count flicks, undermining characters, or simply not exploring them, plus building the prom itself to such an important event, when no one could care less for it. 

Then there are the tonal controversies, as the screenplay tries to balance shocking elements and sarcasm, yet fails at adhering to any of the two, making for a jumbled viewing experience. The biggest issue is that the narrative lacks any form of profundity, leaving it emotionally shallow. As such, audiences find it hard to care for any of the victims. 

The dialogue attempts to reproduce a sense of teenage dynamics by asserting to social structures, anxieties, or even aspirations. However, it overblows it to such an extent, it comes off as desperate. Conversations feel wooden, lacking any sort of spirit, while the humour falls flat. 

The cast tried their best at bringing some depth to their characters, alas, the tonal inconsistencies, the voice-over introduction to the personas, plus the superficial story, undermine the performances.

India Fowler, as the lead, Lori Granger, gave a compelling rendition as the high school’s social outsider. Lori’s family is marked by a troublesome past, making her the target of bullying. Unfortunately, none of that is properly explained. 

Fina Strazza steals the show as the high school’s popular queen bee, Tiffany Falconer. Though her persona is shallowly written, she tries her best to add some depth 

Katherine Waterston gives an aggressive, wooden performance as Nancy Falconer, Tiffany’s mother, who is terribly underwritten, without enough presence throughout the runtime. Equally, Lily Taylor’s talents - who plays Vice Principal Dolores Breckendridge - are squandered by making her a red herring, but never diving into that side arc. 

Chris Klein returns to the screen as Tiffany’s father, Dan Falconer, but has little to do, as his role is simply thrown into the mix with the others, without an inch of exploration. 

Cinematographically, this fourth Fear Street is nothing special. Just like the script, the visual style is generic and uninspired. It tries to capture the aesthetics of the period it tries to recreate, yet fails at selling it convincingly. Though the camera captures the horror aspects well, it also lacks a unique style, using standard framing, thus failing at building suspense. Honestly, this could have been filmed by anyone.

The practical gore effects are potent, showing a few interesting kills, turning some scenes into visceral slaughter. They make up the most amusing part of the premise. It is therefore regrettable that it does not leave a lasting effect.

Musically, it tries desperately again to create nostalgia, playing one popular track of that era after another. The sound effects, like everything else, lack originality. 

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Verdict: Leigh Janiak’s absence is deeply felt in this subpar fourth instalment of the horror teen saga, based on the R.L. Stine books. Matt Palmer was so focused on baiting viewers with 80s nostalgia that he forgot to write/direct a movie. The screenplay is filled with tropes, just like inconsistencies in atmosphere; they forgot to give the whole premise some depth. This diminishes the attempts by the cast to add some three-dimensionality to their roles. The cinematography has no frame that stands out, the gore is effective, but the camera lacks tension. The music is equally as forgettable. I’d say, if you are an absolute fan of the genre, who only watches this type of film, and there is absolutely nothing else to watch or re-watch, then MAYBE give it a try at your own cost of 90 minutes of lifetime. Other than that, skip it, it's not worth it! Fear Street: Prom Queen gets a 4.0 out of 10. 

Have you seen this new streamer yet? If not, don’t bother, it will disappoint you! If you did, let me know below what you thought. Thanks for reading!