In a sentenceIt is inconvenient to like the teenagers this much when somebody keeps trying to kill them
In the 1990s, Deena (Kiana Madeira), Samantha Fraser (Olivia Scott Welch) and Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.) are among a group of teenagers facing violent attacks. Kate (Julia Rehwald) and Simon (Fred Hechinger) are caught up in the danger alongside them. Staying alive means working together, while a teenage romance gives the group something else to worry about. The attacks draw them into a mystery that extends beyond the immediate threat. As the danger grows, the teenagers must rely on one another, with their relationships becoming part of the struggle to survive.
Leigh Janiak makes the teenagers worth caring about and the violence unpleasant enough to matter. The lengthy setup holds back an otherwise lively slasher, best suited to viewers already fond of the genre.
Leigh Janiak’s Fear Street: 1994 is a good evening’s horror for anyone who likes slashers and can tolerate some laborious explanation. It aims to revive the pleasures of 1990s teen horror while taking its young people seriously, including the romance at its centre. That concern for the characters helps the violence land, because we care who gets hurt when an attack starts. The film is less successful at making all the groundwork for a trilogy feel necessary to the evening we are spending with it.
Kiana Madeira is the main reason to stay with it. Her Deena has enough confidence to lead the film and enough vulnerability to prevent that confidence becoming tiresome; the hurt feels close even when she is being difficult. The central romance gives the teenagers something to care about beyond immediate survival, though the writing could allow it more depth. The performers make the relationship worth following, but there are moments when we need more time with them before the next piece of explanation arrives.
Julia Rehwald’s Kate and Fred Hechinger’s Simon also help make the ensemble agreeable company. There is a welcome willingness to let these teenagers cooperate and treat one another with some respect, without draining the energy from their encounters. Their concern for each other makes the attacks uncomfortable, which is a useful quality in a slasher. The characters could be more fully drawn, but the cast supplies enough personality to keep us interested through the slower passages.
We were properly tense during the neon-lit opening, where the bright artificial colour makes the threat feel unpleasantly close. Cinematographer Caleb Heymann gives that sequence enough atmosphere to hold our attention before we have much reason to care about anybody. Scott Kuzio’s production design supports a recognisable 1990s setting without making the period decoration the main event. The visual polish can sometimes feel too comfortable for this material, but the opening demonstrates how effectively Leigh Janiak can make an attractive setting feel dangerous.
Rachel Goodlett Katz’s editing is most effective when the attacks are under way, giving the violence a directness the surrounding explanation lacks. Between those passages, the film can seem to be waiting for permission to get on with frightening us. The music by Marco Beltrami and Marcus Trumpp keeps us expecting another attack while the dialogue catches us up, although that help can only carry a scene so far. At 108 minutes, the film is not especially long; the stretches devoted to setting things up still make us notice the time.
The screenplay by Leigh Janiak and Phil Graziadei has more material to introduce than it can comfortably accommodate. The mystery interests us, but preparing a larger story interrupts the scares and leaves some relationships needing another scene. Those are substantial reservations in a film whose appeal depends on caring about who is in danger. Yet the cast and the handling of the violence keep bringing us back, and affection for familiar horror is hardly a fault when the attacks work. Go for the teenagers and the blood, provided a first chapter is enough for tonight.
Most critics find Fear Street: 1994 an entertaining, bloody return to familiar slasher territory, with enough affection for its teenagers to make the violence matter. Praise centres on the appealing young ensemble, the handling of the attacks and the nods to 1990s horror. Several reviews welcome the central queer romance and the emphasis on teamwork, finding fresh possibilities in conventions the film otherwise embraces.
The reservations concern pacing, thin characterisation and how much work this opening chapter does for the trilogy rather than itself. The spread is fairly wide: even sympathetic reviews note sluggish stretches, while others question whether the nostalgia offers enough danger or personality. Critics also differ over the romance’s depth and the effectiveness of the opening sequence. Variety supplies the clearest negative verdict, finding the story generic and frustrating despite recognising the distinctive ensemble; most reviews find more to enjoy in the familiar machinery.
Lee finds the film a marvelously entertaining throwback slasher and says its ambitious gamble appears to have paid off. He particularly praises the sincere handling of the teen characters and the strong young ensemble cast.
Read the full review →Willmore finds the first installment a nasty, effective slasher that avoids being overly burdened by metaphor. She praises its atmospheric filmmaking, especially the neon-lit opening sequence and its restrained evocation of the 1990s.
Read the full review →Freer finds it lively, affectionate horror that delivers on its promise. He singles out the likable teen cast and the film’s fresh spin on familiar slasher conventions.
Read the full review →Winning calls the film a smart, gory reinvention of the slasher genre and an ambitious trilogy opener. He singles out its nostalgic horror sensibility and bloody approach.
Read the full review →The critic finds it a fun, popcorn-friendly throwback that should delight viewers seeking ’90s nostalgia. They especially praise the central romance for adding heart and LGBTQ+ representation to the horror.
Read the full review →Ordoña finds the film uneven but ultimately rewarding as the first installment of a larger story. He criticizes its lifeless opening, clunky dialogue and jump scares, while praising its appealing cast and the more intriguing story that emerges.
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The Faculty · not reviewed yetThe school becomes hostile territory, and the teenage ensemble earns our concern.
Ginger Snaps · not reviewed yetTeenage resentment and loyalty make the horror hurt before the blood arrives.
Attack the BlockAnother resourceful young ensemble discovers that survival is easier with reliable neighbours.
A Nightmare on Elm StreetTeenagers face an inventive supernatural threat, with considerably less reassurance between attacks.
RingFor the curse investigation, if patient dread matters more than teenage banter.
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