Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025) Review

For all its stab-happy bravado and garish neon style, Fear Street: Prom Queen is less a triumphant return to Shadyside than it is a competent if derivative riff on the slashers of yesteryear. Directed by Calibre’s Matt Palmer, this latest Netflix horror outing doesn’t so much reinvent the wheel as ride it straight into a blood-soaked locker room, armed with a buzzsaw and a very ‘80s mixtape.

Set in 1988, the story centres on Lori Granger (India Fowler), a soft-spoken outsider whose tragic family history makes her the school’s resident pariah. She’s inexplicably nominated for prom queen alongside Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), the leader of a snarling clique known as the Wolf Pack. When candidates start dropping like hairspray-flecked flies, suspicion, blood and body parts mount in tandem. This time round the killer is masked figure in a red slicker, apparently inspired by I Know What You Did Last Summer with a pinch of Squid Game. The motive is convoluted and predictable in equal measure.

Palmer’s direction has energy, if not the same flair Leigh Janiak brought to the original Fear Street trilogy. That earlier triptych found smart ways to comment on marginalisation, history and systemic injustice, all while delivering solid scares. Prom Queen, by contrast, is pure homage, unburdened by subtext or nuance. It’s clear Palmer loves the genre, and his affection is infectious, but love alone doesn’t make a slasher smart.

Where the film succeeds is in its commitment to gory set pieces. A paper cutter dismemberment and a face-meets-buzzsaw moment are gleefully revolting, leaning into practical effects in a way that feels refreshingly tactile. The Newton Brothers’ synth score nods to Tangerine Dream more than Carpenter, which adds a flavour not usually found in these retro-pastiche slashers. And the use of period-appropriate tracks – yes, Gloria is in there – helps sell the VHS-era aesthetic, even if it’s more cable-channel filler than cult classic.

India Fowler is compelling in the lead, and Suzanna Son as her punky best mate Megan very nearly steals the show. There’s also a pleasing streak of camp courtesy of Katherine Waterston and Chris Klein as Tiffany’s absurdly uptight parents. Waterston, in particular, seems to be having a ball, all windbreakers and sneers.

Still, for all the energy, there’s a hollowness at the heart of Prom Queen. The mystery lacks weight, the suspects are obvious, and the film falls into the same traps as the titles it imitates. It recreates the clichés but fails to transcend them. In its quieter moments, the cracks in the script show. Dialogue clunks, exposition comes in dumps, and promising characters are left hanging like forgotten disco balls.

Fear Street: Prom Queen is a disposable delight, slightly stale, but still digestible if you’re craving cheap thrills and fake blood. It’s not the horror valedictorian, but it’ll get a round of applause at the afterparty.

Movie Rating:

Fear Street: Prom Queen trailer

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