The "tudum" service's library now includes "Fear Street: Prom Queen," a new adaptation of R.L. Stine that aims to expand the screen universe with an abundance of killers with maniacal tendencies. But the film lacks not only clear connections to the p...

Welcome to Shadyside, a town where maniacal killers keep appearing, staging one bloodbath after another. It's 1988, and local schoolgirls are preparing for the prom, where tradition dictates they will choose a queen. The contenders include local beauties and school stars, as well as Lori Granger (India Fowler), a recognized outcast and the daughter of a woman who killed her lover. At least, that's what they say. On the eve of the big event, the prom queen candidates start disappearing, and Lori unexpectedly becomes a frontrunner...

In 2021, Netflix released three films from the "Fear Street" series within a single month. The creative trilogy, based on the books of teen horror master R.L. Stine, was directed by Leigh Janiak, known for her work on the "Scream" series and paying homage to that franchise as well as other classic slashers of the past.

Janiak took a less obvious path: each new sequel to the first film was essentially a prequel to the previous one. That is, from 1994 we gradually moved back to 1666 to learn what lay behind the supernatural events plaguing the backwater American town. Along the way, the director tailored each new installment to the standards and tropes of the genre, considering the time frame (from a meta-slasher in the spirit of "Scream" to traditional carnage in the style of "The Hills Have Eyes" and witch hunts in the 17th century).

The experiment was not entirely successful, but it was fresh and bold enough. The same cannot be said for the new film in the franchise. The film "Fear Street: Prom Queen" was directed not by Janiak but by Matt Palmer, who didn't bother to create any connections to the preceding trilogy, instead making a standard teen slasher without any gimmicks. At all. It's unlikely to surprise anyone that there are multiple killers in the film, and victims leave the screen in order from the most insignificant to the "final girl." And it's not particularly inventive or colorful. Even the theme of school bullying is presented more clumsily than the murders committed with that tool.

The only thing that connects "Fear Street: Prom Queen" to its predecessors is the active use of the soundtrack to create an era-appropriate atmosphere. Instead of Prodigy from the first part, here you can hear, for example, Eurythmics with their timeless hit.

Why it was necessary to expand an interesting universe with great potential (just think, the original book series has 51 novels) with such a forgettable film is a big question. As is why they invited artists like Katherine Waterston and Ariana Greenblatt without using their potential at all. There are no answers, just as there is no logic in the actions of the local maniacs.