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Fear Street Part 2: 1978 Movie Review: Even Better Than Part One, All The More Bloodier And Hellish
A summer of fun turns into a gruesome fight for survival as a killer terrorizes Camp Nightwing in the cursed town of Shadyside.
Available
On:
Netflix
Duration:
110
Minutes
Language:
English
Story: A summer of fun turns into a gruesome fight for survival as a killer terrorises Camp Nightwing in the cursed town of Shadyside. This time, we get to find more about Sarah Fier who has been terrorising the town for centuries.
Review: Fear Street Part 2: 1978 is undoubtedly better than the Fear Street Part 1: 1994, in terms of death, gore and the hellish villain. However, the trailer for part three at the end just confirms that the makers were just warming up with part 2.
FS78 starts right where FS94 ended, Deena (Kiana Madeira) and Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.) head towards C. Berman (Gillian Jacobs)'s house, the only survivor of the 1978 massacre, with their freshly possessed friend Sam (Olivia Scott Welch). As feared the Camp Nightwing massacre is also connected to the witch Sarah Fier's curse, as Berman tells her story, the audience is transported to the prequel's campgrounds.
While the camp counsellors and campers are getting ready for the biggest night of the camp: Color War we meet the outcast, Ziggy (Sadie Sink). Most of the campers hate her and call her the witch, but her sister Cindy is focused on her picture-perfect life and getting out of the town with her boyfriend Tommy (McCabe Slye). We are also introduced to a bunch of characters going around with their fun reckless life oblivious to their fate, except one, Nurse Lane.
Nurse Lane is the only actual adult at the campsite, she is also the most hated and pitied person in Shadyside and Sunnyvale. A decade ago, her teenage daughter Ruby Lane had caused the last massacre in the town by killing seven friends and herself at a party. Just as the colour war is about to begin, nurse Lane attacks counsellor Tommy. Before she tries to stab him to death, she says, 'I am sorry, but I can't save you... one way or another you are going to die tonight."
Even though nurse Lane is quickly whisked away by the police, her words bother all those who witnessed it. As they being to investigate her stuff, they find out about the witch's mark, the graves she dug away from the campsite and finally the wall with all the names written on it, including Tommy's. For the rest of the film, the mayhem continues as the curse takes over Tommy and a brutal game of hide and seek begins with an axe murderer at large.
What makes the film even better than the FS94 is not just the cast, but also the character relationships which feel more effortless. The film follows not only two sisters who bond and try to survive against all odds, but two love stories and a broken childhood friendship. Ziddy and Cindy stay central to the plot but the supporting characters do not get ignored, their deaths are more meaningful and tragic than the prequel.
Director Leigh Janiak has beautifully crafted a balance between the kid-friendly vibes of Camp Rock and the slasher film, The Final Girls. One minute you are wrapped up in their high school drama the other minute you are hearing some kid's head getting slashed in the dark. We also get to see a younger version of Sheriff Nick Goode (Ted Sutherland) who plays Ziggy's love interest and give some of the cutest moments in the film.
Despite more than three plots at play, the camp, the killer and the witch, the script isn't too crowded or hard to follow. The cast adds an original layer to an already original concept which will pull you in instantly. Overall, Fear Street Part 2: 1978, will make you shudder with the thought of what's next for part three.
