Netflix has released all three Fear Street installments, and here's a ranking of each entry, from worst to best. Based on the popular YA horror series from R.L. Stine, the Fear Street trilogy followed a deadly curse plaguing the town of Shadyside over three timelines, 1994, 1978, and 1666. Leigh Janiak directed all three full-length movies in addition to co-writing the scripts, which featured more gore and gruesome sequence than Fear Street fans would have remembered from the novels.

Originally, the Fear Street trilogy was set to have a traditional theatrical release in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, release plans were halted. The production company then made a new deal, giving Netflix the rights to the slate of films. Rather than space out the releases over the 2021 calendar year, Netflix took a different approach, debuting a new installment every Friday for three weeks in July. Considering each entry is a key piece to a bigger puzzle, weekly releases paid off as interest remained high.

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Looking at the trilogy as a whole, Janiak's Fear Street movies garnered a positive reception from critics and fans alike. The expansive story, centered on Shadyside and the curse involving an accused witch named Sarah Fier, was told over the course of three movies, spanning centuries. Still, Janiak and her team managed to create a cohesive story. The trilogy also utilized a core cast of characters that subverted classic horror tropes while representing underrepresented communities in the genre. Despite the trilogy's success, some elements worked better than others, so here's our ranking of the Fear Street movies, from worst to best.

3. Fear Street Part Two: 1978

A collage image of Ziggy lying in the grass injured in Fear Street 1978 and a close up of her face

Though Fear Street Part Two: 1978 should by no means be considered a bad movie, it did feature some of the weaker aspects of the trilogy. Following the 1994 chapter, Deena (Kiana Madeira) and her brother, Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr.), sought help from C. Berman (Gillian Jacobs) in the hope of saving Sam from becoming the next victim of the witch's curse. Berman, who survived a massacre decades prior, detailed the events of Camp Nightwing in 1978. The sequel introduced a new set of characters, including C. Berman's younger self, Ziggy (Sadie Sink), her sister, Cindy (Emily Rudd), and Cindy's fellow counselors, Alice (Ryan Simpkins), Arnie (Sam Brooks), Nick (Ted Sutherland), and Tommy (McCabe Slye). The latter turned out to be the new victim of the curse, going on a camp-wide rampage after becoming possessed.

Like all entries in the Fear Street trilogy, 1978 was inspired by popular horror titles. Janiak purposely incorporated elements of Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp from the setting to the burlap-sack-masked Tommy Slater. Still, the entry felt limited by the lone killer featured for much of this chapter. The gore was amplified to fit the summer camp slasher vibe, but with the lack of inventive kills, the onscreen violence felt gratuitous, especially when the Berman sisters fell victim under the hanging tree.

Though the supporting characters in 1978 were slightly weaker than the other installments, possibly due to their short-lived arcs, the movie featured a few strong performances. Sadie Sink shined as Ziggy Berman, emulating the pain all Shadyshiders share before getting an emotional response from her sister. Ryan Simpkins echoed a similar sentiment, using her own suffering as motivation in fighting back just moments before being struck down with Tommy's axe in a gut-wrenching turn of events. Perhaps knowing the fate of Camp Nightwing and the Berman sisters, despite the minor twist surrounding C. Berman's identity, hindered the third act. But more than likely, 1978 fell into the classic middle-movie trap that often follows trilogies.

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2. Fear Street Part One: 1994

Fear Street Skull Mask Killer

Whereas 1978 was tasked with telling an important chapter in the tale of Shadyside's curse, Fear Street Part Once: 1994 was responsible for introducing the fictional world. After paying homage to Scream with a quick kill, 1994 shifted focus to Deena, a teenage girl dealing with heartbreak following the failed relationship with girlfriend Sam (Olivia Scott Welch). The pair quickly got targeted by the Shadyside curse once Sam became marked by who the group thought was Sarah Fier. Deena, her brother Josh, and friends, Simon (Fred Hechinger) and Kate (Julia Rehwald), then attempted to save Sam from blood-thirsty killers.

Unlike 1978, which was limited to Tommy Slater serving as the killer, the '90s crew was forced to deal with a slew of supernatural-powered murders. In addition to Tommy, the axe-wielding Camp Nightwing killer, the group had to outrun Skull Mask and Ruby Lane. The variety of killers made for some unforgettable sequence. Not only was their Stranger Things-esque teamwork in taking down the mastermind's army, but the assortment of antagonists resulted in some brutal kills, such as the bread-slicer death of Kate in the grocery store.

By embracing the Scream-era of horror with the meta approach, 1994 excelled by presenting an intriguing set of core characters who each had a role to fill. Kate and Simon gave viewers reasons to root for them before meeting tragic deaths, while Josh served as the surprising underdog. Most notable, however, were Deena and Sam, who rekindled their relationship while escaping death time and time again. 1994, specifically, introduced a new Final Girl in Deena, but she wasn't one previously seen in horror, which was a welcome change that continued to pay off in the trilogy.

1. Fear Street Part Three: 1666

Fear Street 1666

Interestingly, the trilogy's final installment, Fear Street Part Three: 1666, was also the strongest. This may have surprised many, seeing as the chapter was also the riskiest to pull off. The story transported viewers to the 1600s to document the origin of the curse. Sarah Fier (Madeira), a member of the colonial settlement that eventually transformed into Shadyside, was accused of being a witch alongside her forbidden love, Hannah (Welch). In reality, Solomon Goode (Ashley Zukerman) made a deal with the devil, bringing the curse into Shadyside that would last for centuries, but the truth was buried with Sarah after she was hanged.

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Janiak's trilogy came to a wildly satisfying conclusion through 1666. The final entry edged out the previous installments based on the massive scope of the 1666 chapter. It was also thrilling to see cast members return to play other roles in the 1600s, specifically those who met quick demises. Though the Goode family twist was a major factor in the trilogy's conclusion, the truth about Sarah elicited another strong reaction. It was truly heartbreaking to learn her fate, considering she was technically killed for loving another woman. The revelations regarding Sarah's grim fate then propelled the real final act, allowing the trilogy to jump back to the primary timeline.

In one final surprise, "1994: Part 2" popped onscreen, giving the '90s characters a chance to put the curse to rest upon learning the truth about Sarah and the Goode family. Deena and Josh enlisted the help of C. Berman and Martin (Darrell Britt-Gibson) to take down Sheriff Nick Goode (Zukerman), the current figure carrying on the deadly rituals wreaking havoc on Shadyside. After an exciting serial killer beatdown in the local mall, Deena managed to come out on top, killing Nick and saving the town, including Sam. Deena and Sam's love story remained at the heart of the trilogy, mirroring the connection between Sarah and Hannah while getting a much happier ending. The full-circle plot point proved the queer romance was more than an edgy detail, and instead, a key part of the overarching story. Of course, the final moments of the Fear Street trilogy also left open the possibilities of more chapters because, as horror fans know, killers and curses never stay away forever.

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