A slasher worth your time
Not a kid growing up in America after 1990 can honestly say they never saw a Goosebumps book. If they claim they didn’t at least see one, or own one, then they’re lying. Almost everyone I knew had a stack of them, even the kids who rolled their eyes at horror movies.
I still remember elementary school. Michelle, if you’re reading this, I have no idea who you grew up to be, but I’ll never forget you thumbing your nose at us in the lunchroom. Matt, BJ, Tom, John, and I would sit there talking Monster Squad and Universal Monsters every single day. Horror wasn’t just stories; it was currency.
Goosebumps led to Fear Street, and Fear Street felt like Goosebumps’ older, cooler cousin who snuck you into an R rated movie.
So when Netflix dropped the Fear Street trilogy, I couldn’t resist. Nostalgia kicked in hard. I had a love–hate relationship with the films:
- The opening of the first one hooked me instantly.
- The second? Mostly enjoyable.
- The third? Honestly can’t remember if I even finished it.
The witchcraft angle was neat, but it didn’t click with me the way the slasher aesthetic did. That badass skeleton killer at the beginning had me hyped, but then the premise shifted, and for me, the air sort of went out of the balloon.
Nostalgia Without Suffocating You
What makes Prom Queen different, and better, in a way, is the nostalgia factor. It’s absolutely there, but it doesn’t hit you over the head with it. You can feel the DNA of Stranger Things in there, sure, but it isn’t drowning in 80s kitsch the way something like Totally Killer did.
Instead, the callbacks feel earned, like they belong in the story instead of being a checklist of retro references.
And let’s not skip over the casting: Prom Queen brings in some familiar faces, including beloved 90s star Chris Klein. Seeing him pop up was one of those “oh damn” moments that adds to the fun, especially for those of us who grew up watching him in teen comedies and dramas.
My Experience with Prom Queen
Fast forward to this year: Fear Street 1988: Prom Queen finally dropped. I’d been putting it off, assuming it wasn’t worth the time. But one Friday night, the stars aligned, because the kid was at a soccer match, and the fiancé was working late, so I had Netflix humming in the background while I wrapped up a project.
I almost skipped it, thinking: I should wait until I can give this my full attention. But nobody was really talking about it, and it felt like the perfect “throw on.” So I hit play.
And you know what? Prom Queen grabbed me. Not every scene, but the kill gags, the atmosphere, the general fun of it all, they kept pulling me away from what I was doing. By the time the killer was revealed, I realized I’d half missed the twist. So I restarted the movie from that point and went through again.
Final Thoughts
Here’s the thing: is Prom Queen a masterpiece? No. Is it unforgettable? Not really. But is it fun? Absolutely. Way more fun than it has any right to be, because it’s the kind of horror comfort food that works whether you’re fully locked in or just letting it play while you knock out a late night project.
If you’re on the fence, give it a chance. It’s a mid tier horror flick that knows exactly what it is… and delivers a hell of a good time because of it.
Join the Conversation
Did you watch Fear Street 1988: Prom Queen?
Drop a comment below and let us know if it scratched your slasher itch or if it’s one sequel you’d leave dead and buried.
Come hang out with us in the Horror Dork Discord — we’re always talking horror, collecting, and the fine art of deciding which Fear Street movie deserved the axe.