The thrill of watching horror

A week ago, I stumbled upon a new Netflix film trilogy — and to my surprise I quite liked it.

I’ve always had in interest in thriller/horror films, particularly the classics (Scream, The Grudge and The Silence of the Lambs). However, in recent years I have much preferred light-hearted comedy/drama films.

Netflix’s Fear Street Trilogy is based off a horror fiction book series – akin to Goosebumps but more catered for older teenagers/young adults. It reminded me of Stranger Things and It while watching it. So, if you’re a fan of those, you’ll really appreciate Fear Street!

In summary, Fear Street takes place in the town of Shadyside (an interesting name...) which everyone believes is under a Witch’s curse, and follows a group of high schoolers trying to escape murderers. I must disclose that there is a decent amount of gore but it can be very comedic and light-hearted at times. I have watched the first two films, as the final film is set to be released 16 July. The first film is set in 1994 and the second in 1978, so if you enjoy past eras, you will like the different pop culture references and sound tracks!

I appreciated the progressiveness of Fear Street – it comprised a racially diverse cast, female leads, different sexual orientations and references to different social classes. The plot line is also quite intricate and has room for surprise and guesswork. I also liked that the characters had a lot of fight in them – often in horror films, people tend to go down after a knife stab—but in this trilogy you’ll find that people will keep pushing to survive (I’m unsure if this could be considered realistic or unrealistic?).

The final film will be interesting to watch as it will be set back in time to 1666 (witch hunting times)! This film will likely explain the origin of the Witch’s curse and it also recycles the characters from the previous two films (so if your favourite has unfortunately met their demise, you will see them again).

I find there is usually two types of people – those who enjoy horror films and those who don’t. I need to be in a particular mood and safe space to enjoy horror. I often remind myself that at the end of the day this isn’t real – it’s a movie so there is no need to get too frightened. These types of films are often enjoyable to watch with friends as you can poke fun at certain scenes and there is a sense of safety (instead of watching it alone).

Overall, if you’re looking for something new to watch I would recommend Fear Street for your next movie night!