Fear Street Part Three: 1666

Director: Leigh Janiak
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Benjamin Flores Jr., Sadie Sink, Darrell Britt Gibson, Fred Hechinger, Julia Rehwald, Emily Rudd, Ted Sutherland, McCabe Slye, Jordana Spiro, Jordyn DiNatale, Elizabeth Scopel, Ryan Simpkins
Running Time: 114 min.
Rating: R  

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

If Fear Street Part One cleverly took inspiration from 90's horror movies like Scream and a supernatural side helping of Stranger Thing and the superior Part Two delivered a dead-on tribute to 70's teen slashers like Friday The 13th, what could now become of the trilogy's third and possibly final film? While the preview oddly indicated something along the lines of Back to the Future Part III, the main reference point is folk horror in the vein of Robert Eggers' The Witch, The Wicker Man, or even more plainly, The Crucible. But if the idea of stringing a single narrative through three movies with the same cast in different eras is an intriguing one, the format's payoff is ultimately what matters. Almost everything needs to converge in such a way that audiences get satisfying answers and aren't taken on a manipulative ride.

As 1978 demonstrated, director/co-writer Leigh Janiak is having quite the run proving she's up to the task this storytelling experiment requires. And notwithstanding the creative pitfalls that could trip up an endeavor this inventive, it does come together in the end. Not without some flaws and certain questionable choices in the last act, what's promised mostly comes to pass, with style, suspense and excitement to spare. It might also be the thematically deepest entry, tackling some timely issues through the lens of an entirely different period and setting. 

If this stayed the course throughout, the sky would have been the limit, but there's also that nagging issue of a mythology to wrap up. It does that well, even if the Stranger Things comparisons will justifiably be out in full force again. If those allusions were noticeably present in Part One, they disappeared in the second installment when Janiak picked exactly one thing to do and did it masterfully. Regardless of its inspiration, the middle chapter felt original, like a great horror movie you'd want to rewatch endlessly. 1666 isn't that, but with a strong lead performance and memorable finale, the third Fear Street takes us back to how it all began in order to effectively close things out.

After returning the severed hand to the corpse of accused witch Sarah Fier, Deena (Kiana Madeira) has a vision, transporting her from 1994 to 1666 as she gets a firsthand perspective through the eyes of Sarah, witnessing past events as they're happening. Living in Union with father George (Randy Havens) and brother Henry (Benjamin Flores Jr.) before its eventual division into Sunnyvale and Shadyside, she's embroiled in a secret, forbidden romance with Pastor Miller's daughter Hannah (Olivia Scott Welch). 

The recipient of constant harassment from town drunk, Mad Thomas (McCabe Slye), Sarah finds herself having an encounter with the reclusive "Widow" (Jordana Spiro) deep in the woods, as she and Hannah discover a mysterious book of black magic. The girls return to a town suddenly beseiged by bad luck and death with townsfolk believing witchcraft to be the cause. Targeting them as the perpetrators, the residents begin their hunt, even as Sarah looks for help from trusted confidant Solomon Goode (Ashley Zukerman), the only person who believes in her innocence. With the walls closing in and Sarah set to be hanged, in 1994 Deena must use the new information she's gained through her vision to break the curse, as Ziggy (Gillian Jacobs) comes face-to face with her traumatic past and the Shadyside killers are summoned to make their final stand. 

Having the same actors playing a multiple roles in various timelines can be jarring so it helps when there's solid reasoning behind it. From the start it's easy to have doubts since there isn't much of explanation other than that some members the cast are playing relatives of whomever they were in the previous entries. But in other instances, certain actors are almost extras of sorts, causing confusion in the early minutes as we're trying to find our bearings in the 1666 story. You could say Deena "leaps" into Sarah Fier, experiencing everything as her, with the romance between Sarah and Hannah serving as a mirror image of Deena's rocky relationship with Samantha in 1994, as actress Olivia Scott Welch also pulls double duty in two roles. But once all that's established, Janiak does an admirable job fleshing out Sarah's backstory and dives headfirst into the folk horror aesthetic.

The girls' plight is caused by a growing lie when someone tells someone else, and before long it's spreading through town like wildfire. It's gripping how the film tracks the trajectory of this while making it known that being viewed as "different" is what dooms them. The script does a skillful job of touching on issues of contemporary relevance without preaching since so much of it already feels ingrained into this particular story. As death and destruction reigns down upon Union, Janiak extends her streak of not holding back on the gore and violence (particularly in a disturbing church scene), as Sarah's eventually led down a path of discovery the townsfolk are destined to remain ignorant toward, having convinced themselves she's the source of evil. The reveal of the actual villain's identity isn't exactly a shocker, but doesn't have to be since it makes sense by tightening the last screws of this three-film spanning mythology. 

Kiana Madeira taking on the Sarah Fier role proves to be more than just a gimmick, as she delivers a performance that's considerably more affecting than her work as Deena. There's dramatically heavier lifting in this storyline and she rises to the occasion in suprising ways alongside Olivia Scott Welch as Hannah. While there's more than faint echos of familiarity to their 1994 counterparts, they are entirely different characters, so it's a testament to both that they play them as such, navigating a fairly tricky situation. 

The rest of the cast mainly provides backround support in smaller, less pivotal roles than the previous installments with Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Fred Hechinger and Julia Rehwald making sporadic appearances that don't amount to anything of great consequence. It would almost be too convoluted if they did, but you still have to question if they were included if only to keep with a running continuity throughout the trilogy. Ashley Zukerman and Jordana Spiro's respective roles as Solomon Goode and the Widow are more purposeful, directly linking to the events that make up the last third of the film.     

Inevitably, the script circles back to 1994 for its conclusion, as what happened to Sarah Fier and how the curse managed to pass through generations to torture Shadysiders for centuries becomes valuable information for Deena. The final half hour is kind of a thrilling mess with her and the gang trying to lift the curse (and its spell over Samantha) in a battle between good and evil at the Shadyside Mall that recalls the climactic Starcourt Mall showdown in last season's Stranger Things. Despite that, Janiak again doubles down on the violence while still efficiently tying up all the loose ends. And if we were given a music breather with Marco Beltrani's haunting 1666 score taking the place of 70's and 90's hits, some more mid 90's classics make a welcome return at the end, reminding us what might be most remembered about this trilogy is its soundtrack.

Fear Street proves itself capable of sampling different genres and mixing them into a fresh concoction that works better than it ever should have. If 1978 is far and away the strongest of the three entries, the others at least don't pale in comparison, especially now that we can see how everything connects. Still, creating this kind of "expanded universe" can also hurt if more creative energy is spent trying to explain what happened before and set up what's next than focus on the movie in front of us. The second entry proves immune from this by standing alone with a singular vision of exactly what it wanted to be and following through completely. Working within a new format that carried a high risk of creative failure, Janiak deserves a lot of credit for putting her own distinctive stamp on it. She kind of stitches pieces of pop culture and classic slashers together to create this Frankenstein's monster of an R.L. Stine adaptation that still has legs to continue. And based on what we've already seen, it's hard to argue it shouldn't.

Fear Street Part One: 1994

Director: Leigh Janiak
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald, Fred Hechinger, Ashley Zukerman, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Maya Hawke, Jordana Spiro, Jordyn DiNatale, David w. Thompson, Elizabeth Scopel, Gillian Jacobs
Running Time: 107 min.
Rating: R 

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

It's almost impossible to watch Netflix's Fear Street Part One: 1994 without wondering if the project would have existed in this incarnation without the success of Stranger Things. Despite being based on YA horror author R.L. Stine's Fear Street series of books that began in 1989 and being earmarked for an adaptation for years, you wouldn't be wrong to assume it was really The Duffer Brothers' achievement in mixing supernatural horror with Goonies-like nostalgia that really pushed this through. 

Drawing upon that series for far more than just mere inspiration, director Leigh Janiak employs a tone and style that will seem very familar to anyone who's even seen so much as a minute of that show. While she's hardly the first to borrow the template and it can be either good or bad depending on the execution, there's no question the bubble will have to burst at some point, even if we're not there yet. But as far as Stranger Things disciples go, it still ranks as one of the stronger efforts by managing to walk the very thin line of appealing to the younger demographic with its story and placating older horror fans by not cutting corners on the gore and violence.

Even as someone who wouldn't be a part of Netflix's target audience for this three-part series of films released over consecutive weeks, they've kind of made it impossible not to have a great time with it anyway. With familarly likeable, throwback characters, clever dialogue and a decent enough premise, it's also a giant mess of sorts, but one that has the noblest of intentions. So even if the MTV meets Riverdale aesthetic is starting to wear a little thin in pop culture of late, this makes as good a case as any that it can be partially overcome with the right approach. 

The name "R.L. Stine" isn't exactly synonomous with graphic violence, sex or murder, so that Janiak is  able to push things in this direction in a way that doesn't feel forced is impressive, even managing to secure an 'R' rating. Certain aspects are weird, flawed and occasionally cringeworthy, but you definitely won't be bored. Whether it has enough creative gas in the tank for two sequels and beyond remains to be seen, but even when the material goes overboard, it has a compulsively watchable quality that should suck most viewers in.

It's 1994 when mall bookstore employee Heather (Maya Hawke) is murdered by her friend Ryan (David W. Thompson), who's shot to death by authorities, marking the latest in a long line of murders plaguing the town of Shadyside. Many teens believe the source of these troubles stem from a witch named Sara Fier who was executed in 1666, shortly after allegedly placing a curse on the town, even if Sheriff Nick Goode (Ashley Zukerman) remains skeptical. 

Deena Johnson (Kiana Madeira) also has doubts, despite her brother Josh's (Benjamin Flores Jr.) obsession with collecting newspaper clippings of the murders, frequenting AOL chatrooms and researching the town's sordid history to confirm the witch theory. But when Deena's closeted girlfriend, Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) moves to the rich neighboring town of Sunnyvale, her drug-dealing friends Simon (Fred Hechinger) and Kate (Julia Rehwald) get involved in a brawl with the Sunnyvale teens during a vigil. When the fight leads to a terrible accident, Sam sees a vision of the Fier witch, forcing the four teens to band together to stop the murderous rampage that's descending upon Shadyside.

The film's opening might be its best overall sequence, with Maya Hawke playing a quirky B. Dalton employee being hunted after hours in the mall by a skeleton-costumed killer. Even if the Stranger Things vibes are heavily present due to the setting and actress, it's really meant to echo the opening of Scream, with Hawke's character and performance paying homage to Drew Barrymore's role in that film. And it does so successfully, with Janiak making it clear right away that she's come to play, delivering a payoff a whole lot more violent and atmospheric than expected given Stine's scholastic roots. And from there things really hit the ground running with an onslaught of action and exposition that rarely pauses for us to take a breath, introducing all the characters and setting the stage for the overarching mythology that follows. 

We're also inundated with a plethora of 90's music and cultural signposts that leave absolutely no doubt as to what decade we're in. With Nine Inch Nails, Bus, White Zombie and other era-specific hits all making soundtrack appearances within the film's first half hour, it wouldn't be unusual to hear complaints about nostalgic overkill. Since 1994 is pretty much my favorite period in music, I can handle being hammered with it, especially since the soundtrack is spectacular and Netflix didn't cheap out, securing the rights to original versions of these songs rather than inferior covers.

Thankfully, the breakneck pace slows down some when the horror plot begins unraveling and we settle in with the characters, who are suprisingly compelling considering each are very much fulfilling a specific 90's movie horror "type." The relationship between Deena and Sam bucks this trend a bit, as both have enough to them that they defy categorization while confidence-challenged underdog Josh (played really well by Flores, who was so good in Showtime's Your Honor) is the easiest to get behind. The screenplay gets a good amount of mileage out of his crush on the popular, but outwardly cold Kate while Fred Hechinger brings the same unhinged, off-the-wall eccentricity and charisma to Simon as he did to the recent The Woman in the Window, with loony mannerisms that at times recall a young Joaquin Phoenix.

The supernatural mythology involving the Fier witch, her ties to the multiple Shadyside killers and what's necessary to break this curse isn't where the film most excels. It's possible this changes in the next two installments when more layers of explanation are added, but right now it seems convoluted and too dependent on "rules" not yet fully established. The plot's fine for what it is, but where the picture's bread is really buttered is in its 90's setting and Janiak's willingness to not hold back on the violence when its story unquestionably calls for it. 

One particular killing toward the end is a brual shock considering Stine's reputation and the genre of books this is based on, so give Netflix credit for doing the opposite of watering things down. As a property, Fear Street was always going to be a cash grab, and while it's presentation doesn't exactly contradict that, it's at least done with some dignity and respect for the new audience it's aimed toward. But more importantly, it's just plain fun. It may also be one of the few times where a "To Be Continued" title card makes sense instead of causing viewers' to roll their eyes in frustration.

Occupying this strange content space that resides somewhere between an anthology horror series and a feature film trilogy, Netflix was the only feasible fit for this experiment. That the following entry takes place in 1978 and will supposedly be patterned after Friday The 13th and other camp slashers of that era would seem to carry even more promise on paper. Having it tangentially related to this but still existing independently as its own entity is probably a wise idea, even as all of them still share the same director. Fear Street's an intriguing concept, but also one that can get tired very quickly if each doesn't distinguish itself enough or gets all tangled in knots trying to sort out the mythology. If it can void that, 1994 has a promising enough start to believe Netflix might have another mini-franchise on its hands.          

The Woman in the Window

Director: Joe Wright
Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tracy Letts
Running Time: 100 min.
Rating: R 

★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

The most surprising aspect of Joe Wright's long gestating The Woman in the Window is how underwhelming the results are given the staggering amount of talent involved. Of course, this happens, as movies collecting dust in post-production are frequently dumped onto streaming services with little to no fanfare. But in this instance, Netflix actually went to some lengths to promote it, perhaps hoping the cast's pedigree would overcome its creative flaws, which keep piling up as its story becomes more involved and convoluted. It starts with rather transparent aspirations of honoring Hitchcock or De Palma before devolving into an inferior Scream sequel in its second half, complete with a clumsy reveal. And that's a shame since you can kind of see the skeletal framework of a film that may have really worked under different circumstances, as a few stronger performances seem in search of the better material these actors mistakenly thought they signed onto.

Based on a 2018 bestseller by A.J. Finn, that this script was adapted by Tony-winning playwright (and gifted character actor) Tracy Letts leads you to believe something got lost on its journey from his pen to the screen. That it was supposed to be released in late 2019 confirms as much, as viewers will be jumping through hoops to deal with some of the arbitrary contrivances before reaching an ending that lands with a thud. While there are laughs to be had, it mostly takes itself too seriously for that, especially when information comes to light that would have ended the film ten minutes after it started. Knowing this, it's unlikely many would have stuck around for the over-the-top third act that wraps up what's been a strange and wildly inconsistent mystery.

Depressed, agoraphobic child psychologist Anna Fox (Amy Adams) lives alone in her Manhattan brownstone apartment after separating from her husband Edward (Anthony Mackie), who currently has custody of their daughter, Olivia (Mariah Bozeman). Mixing drinks and medications on a daily basis, Anna's psychiatrist Dr. Landy (Letts) becomes concerned with her obsession of watching all the neighbors from a second floor window, while also acknowledging that interest could be a subtle sign of progress in her therapy. But when spouses Alistair (Gary Oldman) and Jane (Julianne Moore) Russell move in across the street with their teen son, Ethan (Fred Hechinger), Anna's takes her spying to another level.

After two separate encounters with a clearly dispondant Ethan and a flighty Jane, Anna begins suspecting the mother and son are trapped in an abusive household. When she believes she sees Jane get stabbed to death by husband Alistair through her zoom lens, his furious denials and attempts to discredit Anna to Detective Little (Brian Tyree Henry) begin. Anna's basement tenant, singer-songwriter David (Wyatt Russell), provides little help in corroborating her story while possibly hiding some secrets of his own. With her mental state deteriorating and everyone gaslighting her into doubting what she saw, Anna works overtime to put together clues that prove this horrific crime was really committed and not merely a construct of her fragile psyche.

While the film is all over the map in terms of plot, the amount of time it spent on the shelf probably helped it in some ways, at least as far as its themes of isolation seeming timelier than they otherwise would. And for about half the film, the script does seem very seriously interested in taking us into the fractured headspace of this woman who obviously experienced a severe trauma we only later discover the details of. 

Losing herself in classic movies and TV, Anna's exiled herself inside this apartment with her cat, and the remainder of her entertainment is provided by spying on this wealthy, dysfunctional family across the street. Other than  sporadic phone conversations with her estranged husband and the weekly psychiatric counseling, she's in her own world, reality hanging by a thread after an adjustment to her meds. 

Adams is really strong in these opening scenes and her interactions with Hechinger, as this desperately off, needy teen, are unnerving and affecting. But it's the entrance of an entertainingly loopy Julianne Moore as "Jane Russell" that sends everything into a tailspin, but not an altogether welcome one, through no fault of Moore's performance, which is probably better than the story deserves. 

After Anna witnesses Jane's murder the entire scenario goes down this rabbit hole where everyone starts questioning her sanity and the mystery unfolds as to whether everything's playing out in her head. The more information that's revealed the sillier it gets, more closely resembling one of those 90's direct-to-video thrillers than the Hitchcockian whodunnit it initially purported itself as being. 

Most of the film's charms are found in these supporting turns, with the possible exceptions of Gary Oldman's relegation to stock villainy and Jennifer Jason Leigh being given the least to do of anyone as the supposed "real" Jane Russell, an eleventh hour wrench thrown into the plot. While the characters are comparable to pieces on a game board, both Hechinger and Wyatt Russell make the most of what they're given, with the latter proving more than capable of handling darker material you'll wish was better after seeing his performance. And despite fairly limited screen time, Moore makes the biggest impact in her extended scenes opposite Adams, teasing the potential for a gripping mystery that just never quite gets off the ground.

This is one of those projects where the harder the script works, the returns only seem to keep diminishing. It's not a chore to sit through and Adams has a great grasp on her character, but whatever subtly the story had at its start literally goes, if you'll forgive the pun, out the window with a fascinating mess of a finale. Featuring a gotcha revelation that's partially confusing and not as surprising as you'd think, it really does channel one of those cheap slasher endings in all the wrong ways. 

Since Adams basically headlines every other film released these days, this feels like a bigger departure for Wright, who's a long way off from Atonement and Hanna, dipping his feet into the waters of a bargain basement thriller he tries his best to elevate. We'll never know the exact circumstances surrounding how The Woman in the Window turned out like it did, making it almost uncomfortable to assign blame. But even those able to have fun with this would have a tough time claiming it reaches its full potential, whatever that was intended to be.