Welcome back to the darkness under your stairs. I admit that I often fall behind in catching new horror films in theaters. I’m still trying to make the drive-in for the Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines double feature, but circumstances haven’t been helping me. Over the Memorial Day weekend, however, Netflix dropped the new flick in the Fear Street franchise, Prom Queen. The franchise is based on the popular R.L. Stine Fear Street book series.

The film returns us to the cursed town of Shadyside, where nobody ever seems to escape, but falls victim to the many killings throughout the town’s dark history. This film isn’t a direct sequel or prequel to the first three Fear Street movies and takes place between Fear Street Part Two: 1978 and Fear Street Part Three: 1994. A couple of easter eggs give nods to the first trilogy, but you can watch this movie without any knowledge of past films.

Lori Granger wants to break free of Shadyside’s hold on her life. She believes her family, past, and town are all cursed. To help her break the curses she believes surround her and shape her life, Lori hopes to win prom queen. The other five girls Lori is running against are part of a clique called the Wolf Pack and are the most popular girls in school. On prom night, the queen contestants begin to be killed one by one. Who will be left to claim the crown? What will the final body count be? There is plenty of teen angst and family strife, but the plot is heavily influenced by classic prom-themed horror flicks like Prom Night, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 (a delightfully fun, underrated film), and some shades of Carrie.

At its core, Prom Queen is a straight-up 1980s slasher horror homage. It hits all the slasher story beats and has numerous superb deaths with gory, practical effects. I loved the practical effects and wish more films would use them. Nothing takes me out of a movie like a digital blood spray. We can tell, Hollywood, so stop it!

The film runs a tight hour and a half, but there were spots where I felt like it was dragging on too long. Most of the film is the cat-and-mouse game being played at the prom, and it made the second and third acts long in the tooth. It kept my interest, but at the fifty-minute mark, I started to check the time remaining. The plot throws a few red herrings into the mix but quickly shuts them down. You never really had time to care about figuring out the killer’s identity, because the suspects don’t last long. Once the guilty party is revealed, you aren’t shocked; even the end of the third act isn’t a shock. Stay around after the credits for a brief post-credit scene. You can get bonus points if you recognize the blood pattern on the floor, so look alive when you’re desperately trying to stay awake long enough to finish watching the movie.

Overall, I liked it. It was a great throwback to the ’80s slasher movies I grew up loving. It can get drawn out, and you may want to nap, but the kills are fun with plenty of blood. Would I watch it again? Probably not, but I’m glad I gave it a viewing.

On the Tombstone rating, I give it 3 1/2 out of five tombstones.

Until next time,

Brent