The Mosley Review: Fear Street Part Two: 1978
How? Someone tell me how this is possible? Tell me how is it that someone finally figured out how to tell a great teen slasher story that works and do it twice! I have honestly been waiting for a very long time for this genre to have fresh blood pumped back into its veins and it has finally happened. There is a craft to making these type of horror films that have gone to the way side since visionaries like John Carpenter and the late Wes Craven had passed the bloody blade to the next generation. Yeah sure there are some really good ones out there like Wrong Turn, Freddy vs Jason or even the first Final Destination, but none of those come close to excellence of storytelling. Just like the previous film in this now known trilogy, this sequel continues what made the first one so great and elevates it to the next level. I loved the homages to Sleepaway Camp, Friday The 13th Part II and Wet Hot American Summer, but instead of trying to copy and paste, the filmmaker learned from those films and made it their own. I was beyond thrilled with the fact that the amount of brutality was not skimped on and they went where no other films would go. From beginning to end, I was riveted by the mystery storytelling, pacing and excellent characters that I actually cared about by the end.
Kiana Madeira and Benjamin Flores Jr. return as Deena and Josh and they are just as fun as good as they were in the first film. Gillian Jacobs returns as well as C. Berman and I loved her retelling of the events that happened. Through them we are taken back to Camp Nightwing 1978 and that’s where the fun truly begins. Sadie Sink gives a knockout performance as Ziggy Berman. She is full of the sarcastic anger and sometimes hate and you feel her pain as she is painted as an outcast. You sympathize with her and you want her to get payback on her bullies. Emily Rudd was excellent as her preppy and poser sister Cindy. Emily nails her desire to be like the status quo while she tries to hide the truth behind her family drama. Throughout the film you see those layers begin to dissipate. Together Ziggy and Cindy are the best part and their sisterly bond is felt strongly even though they have their differences. Chiara Aurelia was the perfect bully as Sheila. She was absolutely awful and the revenge that Ziggy has on her was sweet. Jordana Spiro returns as Mary Lane and I loved that we got some more time with her. You see the trauma her daughter's killing street caused psychologically, but you also see how she was on to something about Sarah Fier. Ted Sutherland was great and strong as Young Nick Goode. You see the hero in him that is born, but also the coward to be from the original film. Ryan Simpkins was excellent as Alice and I liked how she went from the stereotypical stoner to a compelling character. Such a great cast.
The score was brilliantly done once again by duo composers Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts. The intensity and terror is elevated once again with their terrifying score that incorporates some haunting chants and playful tones. The soundtrack is killer once again with alot of great 70's hits that perfectly set the tone and gave characters great introductions. The sound designs in these films are amazing! You can feel the axe heavily splitting the flesh and breaking through bone. The first film had an epic death scene and it set the bar on how brutal the kills could be. This film reset the bar to the next bloody stump and I was riveted by it. People get hacked the death in some of the most glorious ways, but there is one death scene towards the end that was heartbreaking and very intimate. I loved this film and for a sequel, this is definitely up there as one of the best. This is shaping up to be one of the best horror slasher trilogies ever made and I can't wait to see the final chapter. This Netflix Original and the first film, 1994, are now streaming. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
