‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Is Good, Actually
The Fear Street trilogy fans are a loyal bunch. When 1994, 1978, and 1666 dropped in July 2021, culture shifted. It was all anyone could talk about. Director Leigh Janiak had struck gold. Among the slasher renaissance’s biggest releases, it was a moment, a moment that rivaled the initial release of Stranger Things. We don’t get many of those these days, with the proliferation of streaming and the constant rat race to keep up with the conversation. After some online rallying, the powers that be heard our cries and offered up a one-off Fear Street installment.
Released in May 2025, Fear Street: Prom Queen sets its story in the late 1980s, taking notable cues from Carrie, Heathers, and Prom Night. The reception this time wasn’t of gleeful adoration but of sickly disdain. This wasn’t the Shadyside they remembered so fondly four years ago, but a rather disgusting interpretation that dared to do something messy. As a fan of chaotic slashers—The Dorm That Dripped Blood and Slaughter High among them—I found this overheated reaction drastic and unimaginative. It was as though I were living in an alternate reality where liking Fear Street: Prom Queen was the biggest sin you could commit. It was strange watching it unravel in real time.
Welcome To Fear Street (Again)
India Fowler plays Lori Granger, a social outcast who’d give anything to win prom queen. But the competition is stiff: she faces resident bad girl and weed dealer Christy Renault (Ariana Greenblatt), Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), and Tiffany’s wolf pack, comprised of Linda (Ilan O’Driscoll), Melissa (Ella Rubin), and Debbie (Rebecca Ablack). Tiffany has made Lori’s life a living hell, apparently, since birth. She’s your classic mean girl, with Strazza delivering a hilariously over-the-top villain that’d make Kim Walker envious. “What’s your damage, Tiffany?” remarks Lori, taking that line straight from Winona Ryder’s lips. The volatile duo supplies the film with plenty of soap opera dramatics worthy of Days of Our Lives.
Lori is a lightning rod for gossip. Rumors claim her mother slaughtered her father, stabbing him in the face and leaving his lifeless body by a “dirty river,” as Tiffany likes to remind her. The truth paints a completely different picture, however. One of two killers—Tiffany’s mother, Nancy, played by Katherine Waterston, who gives her own deliciously theatrical performance of her own—reveals in her epic villain monologue that she killed Lori’s father – but he “cried more,” she seethes with a wink. Nancy’s accomplice turns out to be her husband, Dan (Chris Klein), and they both did what they did not only because they’re certifiable psychopaths but because they believe their daughter is truly “special,” a cut above the rest. Put it all together and you get CRAZY.
Fast-Paced and Bloody
Clocking in at 90 minutes, the film doesn’t waste a single frame. It immediately hops into action, detailing the two days leading up to prom night. Director Matt Palmer and his script co-writer Donald McLeary reveal the characters’ intentions, motivations, dreams, and fears as the story unravels. Time is of the essence, making the film a surprisingly brisk watch. When we get to the meat of the story, all set during prom, we sit back and enjoy some inspired deaths (the double-hand paper cutter and chainsaw-to-the-face are particular highlights, as well as several dismembered body parts). Nancy and Dan pick off the prom queens one by one, with only horror nerd Megan (Suzanna Son) noticing the disappearances. Tiffany remains unfazed, and why should she care? Less competition and more chance of her snatching the crown.
Nancy and Dan’s getup—a red raincoat and gnarled mask—gives Alice, Sweet Alice energy, showing both an innocence and a monstrous spirit. Their sloppy running, particularly a third-act chase scene with Lori, emulates real Prom Night vibes and falls in line with many of the ‘80s more obscure slashers (I see you, Too Scared to Scream). A killer is far scarier when it’s just a person with poor coordination and an insatiable bloodlust. There’s something about someone with a knife. It’s terrifying.
Lori ultimately being crowned prom queen is just a footnote. The circumstances surrounding it is pure slasher gold. No one bats an eye at two of their own screaming in agony or as Lori storms the gymnasium stage. It’s all convoluted mayhem, and it is delectable.
Here’s Why It All Works
These classic genre elements come together to create a wonderfully jumbled slasher that knows exactly what it is. We need more of these; we need both more wild slashers AND self-aware slashers that aren’t trying to be anything but what they are. From its slapstick humor (“Eat a dick, Lafay!” makes me giggle every single time) and physical gags (Tiffany’s most staunch supporters getting their leg and head severed in one slash is iconic) to its endearing lead and satisfying last line (“I’m Lori fucking Granger,” Lori says after delivering a fatal blow to Nancy’s head with a trophy), Fear Street: Prom Queen understood the assignment. It delivers all I could want in a modern-made slasher–and I’ll never quite understand why it was held to such a higher standard than most other genre fare.
Two months since its release, it’s made a nice addition to my comfort films Letterboxd list. With its slick polish, epic needle drops, and irreverence for the IP, the film neither overthinks itself nor treats the audience as stupid. It fits snugly in the cozy box of slashers. It’s time that Fear Street: Prom Queen gets a second, less critical look. Discard your previous notions and expectations for what you think a slasher should be, and simply enjoy the ride.
Sometimes, a film is just meant to be Friday night popcorn viewing and nothing more. Fear Street: Prom Queen ticks all the right boxes and delivers on its promise to be just plain fun. We need more fun, both in horror movies and online discourse. We’d all be better off if we could take a breath and go touch grass.
Categorized: Editorials
