With the recent release of Fear Street Part Two: 1978, horror fans are once again flocking to Netflix for the second installment in this instantly iconic slasher trilogy. After the first film, Fear Street Part One: 1994, comparisons to traditional slashers of the '80s and '90s were everywhere, but following the tale's recent trip to Camp Nightwing, it's practically impossible not to notice how closely it honors the horror flicks that have come before.
Although the third entry, Fear Street Part Three: 1666, doesn't start streaming until July 16th, the sneak preview already presented even more callbacks to iconic horror mainstays. From references to Camp Crystal Lake and even a certain fiend from Haddonfield, Fear Street is an honorable homage to the horror genre as a whole.
Scream
The first opening minutes of Fear Street Part One: 1994 could easily be the catalyst to a Scream spinoff. Not only is it loaded to the brim with the bright colors of '90s cheese but also, the first slasher the viewers are acquainted with in this bloodbath of Wes Craven-proportions practically follows Ghostface's M.O. to a tee. Granted, it was missing a few threatening phone calls.
Right from the onset, the skull-faced slasher pulls his iconic look from a stolen Halloween costume, uses a serrated knife as his weapon of choice, and stalks a victim with an impressive knowledge of horror fiction. If this were done in any other film, it would be written off as a blatant ripoff. However, it totally fits in this town with a history of slashers and slayings.
Friday the 13th
Turning back the clock to 1978, Fear Street essentially traded Camp Crystal Lake for Camp Nightwing. The second entry in this slasher trilogy could pass for a Friday the 13th homage with flying colors in no uncertain terms. While Tommy Slater might not have the bulk or iconic hockey mask of Jason Voorhees, the bag-headed ax-murderer look is more than a little familiar.
The plaid shirt and burlap mask are both definitive features of Jason's in Friday the 13th Part II, and the gruesome gore and graphic kills in the second film are just as gnarly as a visit to "Camp Blood."
Halloween
At first glance, Billy Barker's mask might look like a throwback to The Hills Run Red, but there's something eerily similar to his tableau and the origins of another famous masked murderer. A young boy, possessed by some sinister force, puts on a creepy mask and proceeds to murder a family member in their bedroom? True horror fans have most definitely heard that story before.
Billy's night of carnage is practically one step up from that of a young Michael Myers in the original Halloween. While he lacks the clown mask and his first body count is supposedly higher than just Judith Myers, the resemblance between him and the Shape is undeniable. Even his design looks vaguely like a mini Michael.
The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project may not be a slasher in the traditional sense, but there's still no shying away from this one, as there's no way a movie featuring a "witch's curse" and "secret rituals done in the woods" doesn't remotely resemble that 1999 horror flick. Granted, there's no shaky cam footage, no grainy camera effects, and no running noses smashed in the foreground, but with all the strange markings and sinister atmosphere, there's at least a little influence going on here.
In particular, the use of the Witch's Mark is remarkably similar to the frequent placement of the stick figures in the '90s found-footage film. While these are definitely different breeds of horror flicks, the themes are on par with one another, and it's certainly hard to ignore.
Sleepy Hollow
While the third and final flick in the series hasn't hit the streaming service yet, the trailer already has elements of a good, old-fashioned, gothic horror film. With its muted grey color scheme, period setting, and talk of a supernatural legend that soaks the town, there's a solid case for callbacks to Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow already.
True, some will immediately also make comparisons to Robert Eggers's The Witch, but this preview looks far more stylistic than serious. It's a prequel/sequel that seems as upfront and graphic as the previous two entries, and it also carries that over-the-top, Hammer-horror influence that Burton's known for using. All it's missing is a cameo from Vincent Price or Christopher Lee.
The Ring
Some viewers might be scratching their heads at the idea of The Ring/Ringu's influence over Fear Street, but consider the elements that make up the origins of Sarah Fier and her minions. The films thus far have featured flies, horrific visions, foreboding circular imagery, and an ancient curse involving the death of a girl with supernatural powers. On paper, it all sounds strangely like The Ring's Samara.
Although the series looks like it pulls mainly from classic slashers, to say that it hasn't pulled from this iconic horror flick would be entirely untrue. Sarah's remains might not be at the bottom of a well, but lying under a cursed summer camp works much more in her favor anyway.