KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — A favourite of kids who grew up in the ‘90s, RL Stine’s best-selling Fear Street horror book series is making its way to Netflix this July with a trilogy of R-rated films.
Just don’t expect the usual ghosts, ghouls and jump scares — the films will offer horror enthusiasts a good dose of catharsis and gore but like any good scary movie, it is always about something deeper.
Directed and co-written by Leigh Janiak, the film trilogy begins in 1994 when a group of teenagers discover the terrifying events that have haunted their town for generations may all be connected — and they may be the next targets.
Rather than a direct adaptation of any individual story, the films celebrate the spirit of the books and fleshes out Shadyside’s sinister history by going back 300 years in the third film to unearth the mystery behind the repeated killings.
“The project started to come together around this idea of the systemic oppression that permeates culture and tells certain people that you’re ‘other’ and you are never going to win.
“I think that’s a common thing to feel growing up, especially for anyone who’s been born into a world they feel like they can’t escape,” said Janiak, who is Netflix’s first female director for a genre franchise.
It is often said that horror reflects society and Australian-American actor Ashley Zukerman said a lot of the horror thrillers in recent years have been exceptional at using the genre to comment on social issues, naming Midsommar and Get Out as his favourite examples.
“Fear Street is part of a very contemporary group of horror films — the purpose here isn’t just to shock, that might happen but it’s interesting to do something else as well,” he said during a press roundtable Malay Mail participated in.
“They speak to the comfort or acceptance that many have with oppressing others for their own benefit, and that is something hopefully the world is challenging.”
If you have been avoiding blood and gore during the pandemic, Zukerman said despite the scare and violence, the films are executed so well that they transcend shock.
“I get it, to avoid feeling scared is something I would absolutely understand.
“However, love is at the centre of these films and they’re uplifting,” he added.
Just like Stine’s page-turners, the three films operate rather like a television series leaving viewers in suspense as they wait a whole week for the next film.
After the horrors of 1994, Part 2: 1978 takes place in Camp Nightwing where another Shadysider is possessed to kill followed by going back to Puritan times with Part 3: 1666 to trace the origins of the curse.
Darrell Britt-Gibson who plays Martin said the set design helped with each film’s time period.
“It’s a testament to the production designers who made the set believable, it really transported us back in time,” he said.
Unlike some authors who are precious about their work, Stine enjoys seeing what others do with his stories.
“I love it when other people take a Fear Street novel or a Goosebumps story, and go with it and make it their own and turn it into their own,” he said.
“That’s exciting to me.”
The trilogy also switches things up by telling a love story between two queer female teens and what it was like to be gay in the 90s.
Fear Street leads Kiana Madeira and Olivia Scott Welch said it was an honour to be part of a queer love story that’s represented in an emotional way.
“We just recognised and acknowledged that it was a big responsibility because it’s never been done before at least to our knowledge — the representation is so important.
“The queer community will finally get an opportunity to see themselves in this kind of role and story,” said Madeira, who plays Deena.
Madeira who hails from Toronto, Canada also spoke about the deep-rooted systemic oppression that exists in North America and how the films reflect the world we live in.
“These movies really shine a light on the fact that the time is up for that.
“It’s a new time and we are embarking on a new journey where we can be the heroes of our own story and we can stand up to that sense of oppression, those are really important themes in those three films,” she said.
To help the younger cast prepare for the universe of Fear Street, Janiak made them watch a list of films including Scream, The Goonies, The Crucible and Nightmare on Elm Street along with a music playlist.
“It’s super helpful because you get to know what is in the director’s head and what you’re going for,” said Welch, who plays Sam.
“So I love the homework of watching movies from the director.”
Fear Street Part 1:1994 starts streaming on Netflix from Friday, July 2.
Fear Street Part 2: 1978 will be available from July 9 and Fear Street Part 3: 1666 will be released on July 16.
