Fear Street Part Three: 1666 Review

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

PLOT: The Fear Street Trilogy comes to an end with this final entry, one that finds Deena discovering the origin of Sarah Fier's curse on Shadyside.

REVIEW: Last week in my review of Fear Street Part Two: 1978, I noted how difficult it is to keep the second film in a trilogy strong. It's also pretty damn hard to do a final chapter. And here we are with Fear Street Part Three: 1666. Truth be told, after loving the previous chapter, I was mentally preparing myself for this final round. Was it possible that with all the build-up, we'd get a truly satisfying end? Or would it ultimately be a mess and fall all over itself as it wrapped up the story? Happily, the Fear Street Trilogy has been a joy of a genre experience. And now, as the final film takes us back into the past, I'm even more thrilled to say that this is an impressively satisfying end to the thrilling Netflix trilogy. Why was this such an enjoyable curse? Read on and find out.

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 begins with Deena (Kiana Madeira) finally getting closer to the answers that haunt this town. However, this revelation teleports her back to another time, one where she is known as Sarah Fier – the witch who had cursed Shadyside. As she carries out her romantic relations with Hannah Miller (Olivia Scott Welch), she finds understanding and compassion with Solomon Goode (Ashley Zukerman). Yet after a few tragic events occur, the local nutter named Mad Thomas (another terrific performance from McCabe Slye) tells the tale of a witch that has brought ruin to their little community. All this leads to the reveal of the truth behind what happened to bring such horrors to Shadyside. And then, ultimately, we return to 1994, where Deena and her surviving friends must go after the true evil that haunts their quiet little town.

This entire experience, with all three films directed by Leigh Janiak and co-written by Phil Graziadei and Janiak, has been a near-perfect blend of frights and fun. It has been an engaging and enjoyable balance of suspense, humor, and charm that continued to entertain on every level. While the first feature was reminiscent of movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer and the second paid a bit of tribute to Friday the 13th and even a little Halloween, the third and final film gets gothic and moody. By bringing this story to the year 1666, it offers the filmmakers the chance to explore a more classic setting, equally as creepy as what came before, if not more so. One sequence involving the local pastor (Michael Chandler) and a small group of children is disturbing and viscerally haunting. It's impressive how well this explores all of these facets of the horror genre thanks to R.L. Stine's inspiration and a talented filmmaker such as Leigh. Yet it rarely plays it all that safe.

Equally impressive are the performances. The past features all the same actors from the previous films, all using an old English dialect, and they handle the material remarkably well. Considering how important her character has remained throughout the entire trilogy, Ms. Madeira is a hell of a talent, and yes, her chemistry with the charming Olivia Scott Welch is not lost here. Other stand-outs in 1666 include Ashley Zukerman, Randy Havens as Sarah's father George Fier, and the previously mentioned McCabe Slye. Even the transition back to 1994 – which they call here 1994 Part Two – leads to an exciting conclusion that is shockingly satisfying for those that have watched all three films. Two different timelines and one intensely suspenseful conclusion help make this perhaps the best of the bunch.

The final act is the cherry on top of this scary little treat of a trilogy. The last forty-five minutes or so takes all that we've learned and gives us a worthy end. I'd never have believed you had you told me before I took it all in that I was going to enjoy an almost six-hour adaptation of R.L. Stine's books. Yet here we are. This wicked final flick rises to the occasion by giving us a better-than-expected villain, a creepy and atmospheric setting, and a few chilling images that are likely to stick with you. While the previous films utilized some seriously groovy tunes, the classical score adds to the moody atmosphere and the impressive set design.

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 is an addictively enjoyable end to one of the best horror trilogies I've seen as of late. It is smartly crafted, satisfyingly intense, and filled with charismatic leads and a director with a lot of love and understanding of horror. If you are a slasher fan, there is much to appreciate. Thankfully, even if you aren't, this immensely entertaining trilogy manages to charm from the very first kill to the final resolution. The actors are all game, the music is perfectly crafted, and all of it is in the capable hands of Leigh Janiak. The Fear Street Trilogy is an easy recommendation. And since it's on Netflix, it's something that I'm sure many of you will watch more than once – I have, and it remains as killer cool as it was the very first time. Make sure you catch the final chapter, Fear Street Part Three: 1666, in one of the most inspired genre entries of the year.

Netflix

AMAZING

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