‘Find the truth’
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 is a 2021 American horror film about murders taking place at a summer camp near cursed town Shadyside. The movie is the second part of a three-film series directed by Leigh Janiak. Fear Street Part One: 1994 and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 are the other two instalments.
Directed by Leigh Janiak (Scream: The TV Series; Honeymoon) from a screenplay co-written with Zak Olkewicz, based on a story by Zak Olkewicz, Phil Graziadei and Leigh Janiak, adapted from the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine.
Plot:
Shadyside, 1978. School’s out for summer and the activities at Camp Nightwing are about to begin. But when another Shadysider is possessed with the urge to kill, the fun in the sun becomes a gruesome fight for survival.
C. Berman (Gillian Jacobs) is the only person who can clue Deena (Kiana Madeira) and Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.) in on what defeating Sarah Fier’s rage could entail, however, they might not like what she has to say. There may be no coming back for Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) no matter what Deena’s willing to do to make sure she doesn’t lose the girl she loves…
Reviews:
” …while Fear Street Part 2: 1978 is kind of slow to get going and has a bit too much chit-chat before and between the kills, it is an entertaining movie that adds some interesting twists and turns into the overall story Janiak is telling with this trilogy. You might not find it to be on the level of favorites from past decades, but it’s nice to see a modern movie that plays in the camp slasher sandbox getting a healthy budget…” Arrow in the Head
” …if this homage is better written, directed, and acted than plenty of slashers that came before, it rarely revives the grimy or campy fun of its genre. And that’s because Janiak, for all her plain skill behind the camera, doesn’t invest in its conventions, or make a meal out of the stalk-and-slaughter set pieces; the kills come and go with a perfunctory swiftness that suggests a condescension to the material, not a genuine affection for it.” AV Club
“The more easygoing spirit of the ‘70s setting makes the pacing feel a little slower, especially during moments of mythology rehash. Even still, Janiak once again crafts a solid slasher that brings the thrills and an impressive body count. Part 2 works as a standalone and connective tissue between entries, but it’s the characters that make this work so well.” Bloody Disgusting
” …not only is the film tasked with explaining what happened in the previous film and the entire supernatural nature of Shadyside, it also has to plant the seeds for the third film, all while attempting to tell its own unique story. Having to juggle these various narrative threads works against everything it’s trying to accomplish, leading to somewhat of a dropoff from the success of the previous film. Luckily, there’s still enough laughs and brutal kills to satiate most horror fans.” ComicBook.com
“If 1978 wasn’t part of the Fear Street event, and simply seen as a separate entity, it would barely be remembered as a so-so summer camp slasher dominantly distinguished by “having one of those Stranger Things kids in it.” […] It’s Scriptwriting 101 to give characters conflicts to work through, yet at the same time, these kids rarely tack on any endearing behavior because they’re too busy moping, complaining, and physically or psychologically assaulting someone. Fear Street: 1978 has an angry attitude thanks to how everyone acts, and that’s a steep step down from Fear Street: 1994’s slick sense of retro horror fun.” Culture Crypt
“The slasher-horror bits are even more brutal than the first film, and the love scenes more raunchy, doubling down on that R-rating, harkening back to ’80s classics like Friday the 13th […] Best of all, everything that seemed clunky and rushed in the first film is fixed in Part 2. The script […] successfully fleshes out both Berman girls as complex characters…” Decider
“It’s a fine mess that’s at odds with the surrounding slasher. An inordinate amount of time is spent before the axe starts swinging lining everyone up like we didn’t get the abridged news report in the previous film. Director Leigh Janiak is braver with the bodily damage to compensate, but it’s still over-wrought.” The Digital Fix
“1978 is arguably a less fun ride than 1994. Early doors, its standard horror-camp-film shenanigans […] are serviceable without ever being truly involving. As the plot splits the teens up, there is little of the engaging interplay between the friends of the first part and, with only one type of maniac on the loose, the kills themselves feel same-y, less imaginative.” Empire
“Fear Street Part Two is far stronger than its first. It’s gripping, keeps you on your toes, and tells a story you get invested in. It feels more like a love letter to the 70s slashers, and you feel satisfied with the full story.” Entertainment Daily
“There’s another third act adrenaline rush of suspense to close out Fear Street Part Two: 1978, but this time the characters are more than likable. There are dynamics at play that ripple throughout the rest of the story and provide greater context to what came before […] The social dynamics are more precise, as is the message these movies want to get across, with a stage set for an incredible finale.” Flickering Myth
“Fear Street Part Two: 1978 had an incredibly iffy start, however by the end, won me over. There are some truly gnarly kills here in the same vein as Friday the 13th that may be a little bit excessive but keep that tension high. The first act is incredibly weak compared to the latter two acts but the cast and characters are wonderful.” Get Your Comic On
“It’s a far darker, and grimmer, film than the first, not just aesthetically (the neon hues of the mall, high school and supermarket are replaced with a dank, gloomy forest) but tonally; the kills are that much more gruesome […] and the stakes feel that much higher. […] Again, so much of what makes this work is an extraordinarily talented group of young actors who take the silliness of the witch’s curse and sell it with heartfelt conviction.” The Guardian
“For me, the best parts of Fear Street Part 2 are the ones in which the teen drama takes center stage — from the illicit romantic pairings to the crazy feuds and pranks. Genre purists will be relieved that none of that comes at the expense of grisly murder scenes; Janiak spares no one, and there’s no shortage of inventive deaths.” The Hollywood Reporter
“Its characters lack polish, and its cinematography lacks the kind of coverage that could have made its action scenes excellent instead of serviceable […] Nonetheless, there’s plenty here for horror fans to enjoy, from jolting kills and a witchy web of lore, to allusions to Carrie, The Exorcist, and Friday the 13th. After such a strong first chapter, Part 2 feels a tad underwhelming but it’s still a wicked good time.” IGN
” …there’s a confidence and a streamlined approach to 1978 that makes for a richer experience in both part and whole than its predecessor Fear Street Part 1: 1994. The surprise isn’t that it deviates from the ground rules set out in the film before it […] It’s that when Fear Street: 1978 is given the opportunity to fulfill the promises it’s made for itself, it does so unreservedly, with a clear sense of purpose.” IndieWire
” …Part Two definitely has an imbalance of small-town drama versus horror that has to be addressed that cannot even be turned around by the promise it’s intentional “Oh no, they didn’t” cliffhanger ending promises. It is a mildly disappointing second chapter in comparison to the brisk and straight to point first chapter.” Screen Anarchy
“As Janiak’s Fear Street trilogy gets closer to the heart of Sarah Fier, it becomes clearer that that’s what’s most exciting in this trilogy, and what gives the director something new to showcase instead of rehashing what came before. Along with the Sarah Fier elements, Part 2: 1978 culminates in a brutal killing sequence that makes Fear Street stand out amid other slashers – for better or for worse.” Screen Rant
” …now that Part One has done much of the heavy lifting story-wise, Part Two has more freedom to indulge in its schlocky horror elements, while building upon the established lore in some genuinely interesting ways. Though still very much a corny teen horror, the second chapter is a lot more gruesome and entertaining than its predecessor.” The Up Coming
” …being referential isn’t the same as being clever, and much of the gore seems intended to prove the movies’ R-rated bonafides rather than to actually serve the narrative […] Fear Street in general and the 1978 chapter, in particular, are at their best when forging their own path, which makes it a shame when they’re too reluctant to walk it.” Variety
Release:
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 will stream on Netflix from July 9, 2021.
Cast and characters:
Sadie Sink … Ziggy Berman
Emily Rudd … Cindy Berman
Ryan Simpkins … Alice
McCabe Slye … Tommy Slater
Meghan Packer … TV Anchor
Gillian Jacobs … C. Berman / Adult Ziggy
Matthew Zuk … Mayor Will Goode
Kiana Madeira … Deena
Benjamin Flores Jr. … Josh
Olivia Scott Welch … Sam Fraser
Brandon Spink … Young Will Goode
Chiara Aurelia … Sheila
Marcelle LeBlanc … Becky
Eden Campbell … Annie
Ted Sutherland … Young Nick Goode
Michael Provost … Kurt
Drew Scheid … Gary
Jacqi Vene … Joan (as Jacqi Vené)
Sam Brooks … Arnie
Jordana Spiro … Nurse Mary Lane
Jason Edwards … Sunnyvale Cop
Paul Teal … Young Officer Kapinski
Alex Huff … Mean Sunnyvale Jailer
Dylan Gage … Jeremy
Jayden Griffin … Cool Sunnyvale Camper
Jordyn DiNatale … Ruby Lane
Kevin Waterman … ‘The Milkman’ Harry Rooker
Emily Brobst … Billy Barker
Keil Oakley Zepernick … ‘Shame Killer’ Isaac Milton
Michael Chandler … ‘The Pastor’ Cyrus Miller
Lana Spraley … Shadyside Prisoner #1
Ja’rell Anderson … Shadyside Prisoner #2
Elizabeth Scopel … Sarah Fier
Kenneth Trujillo … EMT
Ashley Zukerman … Sheriff Nick Goode
Julia Rehwald … Kate Schmidt
Fred Hechinger … Simon Kalivoda
Filming locations:
Camp Daniel Morgan, Hard Labor Creek State Park, Rutledge, Georgia – the same location used for Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
Fun facts:
Although this is the second film in the Fear Street trilogy, it was actually filmed last, after Part One: 1994 and Part Three: 1666.
Trailer:
Clips:
Behind-the-scenes featurette:
Easter eggs:
