Friday night saw the highly-anticipated release of Netflix’s latest film based on R.L. Stine’s iconic young adult book series. Their first adaptation, 2021’s trilogy of films directed by Leigh Janiak, was met with critical acclaim and positive feedback from fans. Prom Queen brought in a new creative team helmed by director Matt Palmer and unfortunately, the resulting film doesn’t hold up in comparison to or match the tone of the series so far.
Set in the spring of the 1988 school year at Shadyside High school, Prom Queen tells the story of Lori Granger, a misfit senior haunted by her parents’ own tragic history as teenagers. Lori, convinced that the town (and her name) is cursed, runs for Prom Queen in order to change her fate and provide an alternative vote to the mean girl clique, the Heathers-referencing “Wolfpack” led by vicious queen bee bully Tiffany Falconer. When the prom queen candidates and their dates start falling victim to a masked killer in a red raincoat, Lori and her horror-loving best friend Megan must stop the killer and survive the night.
Lori feels underdeveloped, as her personality hinges on being unpopular and her status as an outsider. The only character detail we get is that she likes Prince, but it feels like a fumbled opportunity to flesh out our final girl further. While the plot is derivative of other films and doesn’t really provide the depth of character background that the first trilogy does, the film does have its high points.
The kills are gory, (the best of them involving a paper-cutter) and the killer has a great look in their bright-red patent raincoat. The film does a great job referencing slashers from the era and utilizing the classic horror genre tropes. It also features an excellent synth score that horror fans can appreciate and the soundtrack includes ‘80s hits from artists including Billy Idol, Tiffany, and Roxette. The dance battle scene is another highlight, even if just to show off the fun '80s prom dresses and decorations.
The performances are solid, Lili Taylor is a highlight as the religious vice principal and wise-woman voice of reason. The horror-obsessed best friend Megan is also a great character, but overall most of the characters could’ve been fleshed out more. Overall, the stakes didn't feel high enough.
While it technically carries the Fear Street title and is based on one of Stine’s novels, Prom Queen pales in comparison to the previous films and struggles to match their established tone of camp, humor, and horror. Without a couple references to Sarah Fier and the setting of Shadyside, you’d barely know they’re in the same universe. Prom Queen isn’t terrible, but it isn’t great either.
There’s talk of a potential sequel in the works, and fans and critics of the series hope that it can return to the glory of the original trilogy—and continue doing the book series the justice it deserves.