Fear Street Part 3: 1666 - Movie Review
We’ve finally come to it. The end of the Fear Street trilogy. Part one was amazing, part two a letdown, but what about the conclusion? Does it live up to the excitement of the 1st or does it fall below expectations like the second?
Let’s discuss…
Fear Street Part Three picks up a few minutes after the end of Part Two. We are back in the 90’s with our two heroines and they’ve found the only other person who’s seen the witch and lived. They’ve heard her story and using all the information gathered from it, they know where the witch’s den is. When Deena (Kiana Madeira) attempts to end the curse, she is instead transported back in time into the body of the witch, Sarah Fier. She lives Sarah’s life in 1666, uncovering the true cause of the curse. Secrets and lies are the commonality in all witch-hunts and this story is no different. There are twists and turns, but they don’t feel out of place. They feel right in line with the way R.L. Stine books were written. R.L. Stine teaches that in a story there is always a beginning, a middle, and the twist. Fear Street part 3 brings it all together.
My favorite part of this installment is the return of the entire ensemble cast. Familiar faces like Sadie Sink, Fred Hechinger, and (the love of my life) Julia Rehwald take on roles of the townspeople. The script by Leigh Janiak does a great job of relating the past to the present. Teens in 1666 raise hell just as well as the 90’s kids. They drink, do drugs, and fall in love. Even if that love isn’t accepted by their respective societies. Much like in Part 1, the characters feel real. They are lived in, fleshed out people. They give off the appearance of a stereotype, but underneath that veneer are characters that are fully formed. It helps that all of the actors in these movies are top notch. I can’t remember a time when I saw a teen movie and was so in love with a cast of actors.
This episode has a feel akin to great recent period piece horror like The Witch and The Black Death. It is dark and forboding. This is not the candy coated, Little House on the Prairie settlement story. The eyes of god weigh heavily upon the town. When their crops spoil and their water supply is poisoned, they look to the church for answers. Which leads us to the creepiest killer hinted at in Part 1 of the story, Pastor Miller. First shown as being a kind man who loves his daughter, Pastor Miller goes through a metamorphosis. The reveal of his monster form is what I’d imagine an Amish version of Event Horizon to be. This scene is not for the feint of heart. It is creepy, gory, and heartbreaking.
I don’t want to see too much more as this final chapter is much improved over the second film. Part 3 is definitely a must watch as it finally flashes back to the 90’s and finishes our character’s story. I would even say if you are short on time, just watch parts 1 and 3. You really don’t miss much in part 2, and they recap it at the beginning of part 3.
Overall the Fear Street Trilogy was a roaring success. Yes, part 2 was a by the number snoozefest, but the overall journey was a complete experience. The writing and especially the acting were top notch. I can’t compliment the cast enough.
A special note to Leigh Janiak, thank you. You made a story with LGBT characters that didn’t feel like overbearing woke pandering. You wrote fleshed out, relatable avatars for the youth of today. You didn’t try to send any overt messages. You just wrote characters that we could fall in love with. I wish more writers could follow your example.
