Netflix’s Fear Street: Prom Queen tries to cash in on the popularity of the original Fear Street trilogy, but it completely misses what made those films work. While 1994, 1978, and 1666 built a cohesive, character-driven horror story with style and substance, Prom Queen is a flat, forgettable mess that feels more like a filler episode than a real addition to the Fear Street universe.
The story centers on Lizzie McVay, a high school junior nominated for prom queen just as the other nominees start turning up dead. That setup had potential, a high school slasher set against the backdrop of teenage politics could be fun. But instead of leaning into that camp or giving it real suspense, the film coasts on tropes and clichés.
We’re introduced to five girls: the rich one, the quiet one, the edgy one, the sweet one, and Lizzie, our painfully bland protagonist. One by one, they’re targeted by a killer, but there’s no real mystery. The red herrings are obvious, the fake-outs are tired, and the kills are bloodless and uninspired. One girl drowns in a locker room sink. Another falls down some stairs. It all happens so fast and with so little tension that it’s hard to care.
Compared to the leads in the original trilogy. Deena, Sam, Ziggy, and even Nick Goode Lizzie is barely a character. She reacts to things but never really grows or takes control. The supporting cast is no better. They exist to either die or look suspicious.
When the killer is revealed to be Rachel the edgy girl who was dropped from the nominee list it lands with a thud. Her motive? She was mad about not getting nominated. That’s it. No twist, no supernatural angle, no clever reveal. Just pure jealousy turned into murder. In the context of Fear Street, where curses, trauma, and revenge drive the story, this just feels lazy.
One of the biggest problems with Prom Queen is how disconnected it feels from the rest of the Netflix Fear Street films. The trilogy balanced slasher horror with a deeper mythology about Shadyside’s curse and the town’s dark history. Prom Queen doesn’t expand that lore. It doesn’t reference it. It barely even acknowledges it. It could take place in any generic small-town high school.
Worse, it doesn’t bring the same energy or brutality. Think about 1994 that bread slicer kill is iconic for a reason. Prom Queen doesn’t have a single memorable death or standout scene. It plays everything safe and sterile, which is unforgivable for a story that’s supposed to be about high school girls being murdered over a prom crown.
After Rachel is exposed as the killer, the movie ends with barely any fallout. Lizzie wins prom queen, the dance continues, and life just moves on. There’s no emotional resolution, no reflection, nothing that makes it feel like any of this mattered. It’s like the writers ran out of pages and just cut to credits.
Fear Street: Prom Queen had the chance to be a sharp, fun slasher with a satirical edge. Instead, it feels like an afterthought something thrown together quickly to ride the coattails of a better trilogy. It brings none of the style, substance, or stakes that made Fear Street on Netflix stand out. Even die-hard fans may struggle to find anything here worth remembering.
If you want the full Fear Street experience, stick with 1994, 1978, and 1666. They earned their scares. This one didn’t.
