If you were a child in the 90s or early 2000s there’s a good chance you have come into contact with one of the many series created by R.L Stine. Whether it was the legendary artwork of the paperback books, or the classic Goosebumps show, his style and legacy resembles that of a Stephen King for children and teens. Fear Street Part 1: 1994 knows exactly what kind of film it is, and tries to directly appeal to the now grownups who loved Stine’s frightening tales as children. The cold open is great and the film doesn’t hold back in establishing a ruthless tone. The graphic violence throughout is a welcomed, and highly embraced, element of this 90s slasher homage.

Our main protagonist and Final Girl, Deena, comes across as an edgy Nancy Wheeler meets Lindsay Weir. Kiana Madeira does a great job with the given dialogue, and really gives her all when needed. Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.) is by far my favourite character. He feels the closest to being plucked right out of the R.L Stine and Stephen King early works. The wider ensemble grows on you over the course of the film, as each of the characters get their respective scenes which inevitably draw out audience sympathies.

The relationship between Deena and Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) holds the main plot together, and the actors have a believable chemistry in their scenes. However saying that the jock boyfriend of Sam is written two dimensionally is a generous statement. At about a half hour into the film we get the inciting incident, flashes of the full evil yet to come. The Sam Rami vibes get heavy and I absolutely love it. The hospital attack is also great. In my opinion the scene resembles something akin to Halloween 2 mixed with Craven’s Scream 4, all wrapped up and seasoned with Stine’s original teen mystery style.

Fear Street Part 1: 1994 really picks up when our ensemble fully joins together. They get to act as a proper “losers” squad against the forces of evil, and in the pulp novel world of R.L Stine it works. The pacing doesn’t allow you to stop and think about it. The plot keeps pushing forward, which does a great job establishing the fantastical nature of the world in this film. From there the gang finds clues which help them understand their supernatural enemy and begin plotting a battle strategy.

Eventually we’re left with a Back To The Future “To Be Continued” cut scene teasing the sequel (which, considering it’s got Part 1 right in the title, is no spoiler) and I kind of love it! As a whole the film is just corny enough to trigger the nostalgia of watching the original Goosebumps show as a child. Striking the balance between cheesy teen drama and slasher-horror is where the screenwriters and director shine. I personally thought that the skull killer and cold open ironically (or perhaps unironically) felt more akin to a Scream love letter than Netflix’s own Scream series. The film acts as campy tribute to retro styles of horror filmmaking, done with a touch of teen mystery novel sprinkled on top.

The film indeed has its flaws though, for instance the class structure themes don’t feel visually distinguishable. The two opposing schools feel as though the middle class is battling against itself. The pop culture references are great and fun, but sometimes come off a bit heavy handed. The writing of the dialogue is an issue throughout the film and limits what we get out of some of the characters. Overall, Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is very enjoyable film. If you grew up watching Goosebumps or were fans of R.L Stine’s literary works I think you will love this.

7 out of 10