Fear Street Part 2: 1978 Review – A Bloody Good Time!

Fear Street Part 2: 1978 is the second instalment in the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix, once again directed by Leigh Janiak and stars Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, and others in a 110-minute film. The story begins in the Summer of 1978, the school’s out, and campers have arrived at Camp Nightwing. And things soon take a vicious turn when the counselor is possessed and gets the urge to kill.

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Following up to Fear Street 1994, 1978 adds more back story to the curse that plagues Shadyville. The summer camp setting is a fun location for a slasher film and is reminiscent of classics such as Sleepaway Camp and the iconic Friday the 13th franchise.

Sadie Sink and Emily Rudd are two of the leads we follow, and they both deliver better than the cast from Part 1, in my opinion. I enjoyed following their story more this time around. The rest of the cast didn’t stand out to me, unfortunately.

I found the kills more shocking in Fear Street Part 2, even though they were generic and not creative, like a few kills from the Fear Street Part 1. Moreover, the writers also took the time to introduce us to the characters and add some emotional weight to them. That’s one thing I’ve appreciated thus far as you feel for the characters when they’re grieving or ultimately end up on the other side of the ax.

The soundtrack of Fear Street Part 2 is full of great tracks from the 1970s, which adds to the fun summer camp setting. As for negatives, it does take a bit of time for the plot to kick off. The pacing could have been handled better. The script is still mediocre, like Part 1. Also, I wish the kills could have been a little more clever or original. Even though some are shocking and unexpected, they are similar to each other as well as other slasher films from that decade.

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Overall, I had a little more fun with Fear Street Part 2: 1978 than I did with 1994, and the final part, 1666, looks like it could be a fun way to wrap up the overall story and the trilogy. Watch ‘Fear Street Part 2: 1978’ on Netflix here.

‘Fear Street Part 2: 1978’ Rating – 3.5/5

Review by Anthony
Follow Anthony on IG – @cinefilereviewer