In recent years, slasher movies have been stunted by a compulsion for self-reference. However, Netflix’s Fear Street: 1994 subverts that trend, granting an air of authenticity to its cast of high schoolers. The forthcoming entries into the Fear Street trilogy, based on the R.L. Stine book series, will delve into the origins of an ancient evil that has plagued the town of Shadyside for centuries.

However, the first instalment tells a more contained story, revolving around a group of friends who unwittingly turn themselves into targets for that malevolent spirit. As the teens are hunted by various killers, the winks to the audience and self-referential humor remain hidden - resulting in a raucous throwback to the non-meta slasher movies of the past. Spoilers below!

RELATED: The First Terminator Movie Is Basically A Slasher

Fear Street doesn’t ignore genre history. Instead, it embraces it. The movie isn’t afraid to pay tribute to the many great horror movies that serve as an influence. It's impossible to be a horror fan and unaware of the misdirection in the opening scene of Wes Craven's Scream. So when Maya Hawke appears in the first scene as a spikey teenager trying to close her store alone at night, audiences know she's doomed. She’s the prestige name in the cast, features in the promotional material and as a result, fits the Drew Barrymore role perfectly. Nevertheless, despite the homage to Scream, and a nod to R.L. Stine among several others, Fear Street deviates from the meta trappings of the 1996 classic and is all the better for it. Instead, the movie opts to play its premise straight.

Fear Street Trilogy Netflix RL Stine

Deconstructing tropes can be a powerful technique when used effectively. However, Director Leigh Janiak isn't afraid to lean into genre tropes when establishing the setting. Fear Street's competing towns of Sunnyville and Shadyside live up to their rather on the nose names. One is full of lavish mansions and a thriving economy, the other is labeled ‘killer capital’ of the USA by the media.

The latter is where the cast of heroes hail from, and lead character Deena’s ex-girlfriend Sam has recently traded sides – adding personal stakes to the class divide. Many of the inhabitants are reminiscent of Derry in Stephen King's IT. Unable to keep the peace, even at a candlelit vigil, violence between the town's high schools escalates - culminating in a car crash. In the aftermath, Sam accidentally disrupts the grave of Sarah Fier, a legendary witch who was hung in Shadyside and cursed the town. This act entwines Sam's fate with Deena's, bringing them back together for a night of terror as Fier's henchmen pursue them.

Though they may appear wafer thin at first, the estranged couple and the rest of the cast are easy to root for. There’s Kate, a valedictorian cheerleader, who relies upon drug dealing to fund her future plans to leave town. While Simon, leaning into the himbo role, is the polar opposite of the typical self-aware slasher character. His recklessness is matched only by his work ethic to support his family, working double shifts and earning employee of the month at a nearby grocery store.

The characters' emotional responses are heightened to melodramatic levels but this only helps to makes them both relatable and likable. As Deena derides Kate for wearing a headlamp, she replies, "I can't believe you're above wearing one, we're in the middle of the f***ing woods and dead maniacs are after us." There's plenty here for new horror films to learn from. Rather than snarkily stride from scene to scene, fully aware that they’re in a slasher movie, their reactions range from petrified to bordering on comedic - but never descending into farce - making them feel natural.

Janiak trusts that her audience is along for the ride. From the outset, they are shown that there's more to the killer than a disgruntled high schooler with an axe to grind. Thankfully Fear Street doesn't leave its cast of characters in the dark for too long either. Much of the plot momentum is facilitated by Deena's younger brother, Josh. In true 90s style, he's an AOL chat room connoisseur - where he fervently dissects the supernatural aspect of Shadyside's murders through history.

Rather than waste time doubting his insight as the bodies mount up, the rest of the group go along with his theory which prevents the film stagnating. He identifies the killers pursuing them and helps deduce the reasons why. It's a welcome change to see a slasher film with the confidence to own its plot and avoiding fourth wall breaking winks to the audience.

While there is a larger narrative at play, it doesn’t impede upon the immediate stakes established within the first movie. Four henchmen continue to hunt Sam as a result of her disturbing the witch. Sadly, it's not likely that any of them could hold a torch to the likes of Freddy Krueger. Then again, this is just the first chapter and Skull Face does score a particularly gruesome kill that will live long in the memory. While they lack depth beyond their sleek visual designs, there's plenty of time over the next two movies to cement the legacy of the witch Sarah Fier and her henchmen. Should the subsequent movies continue the success of the first, then it could usher in a new wave of non-meta slasher movies.

Perhaps most importantly, the show manages to dodge well-trodden trope with the survival of its two LGBTQ+ leads. Though they're not without their troubles to seek at the dénouement, Deena is more determined than ever to protect Sam from harm. Forgoing self-referential winks to the audience makes it easier to invest in the movie. Indulging it adds a layer of safety, separating the audience from the characters they are meant to relate identify with. Hopefully, the next two Fear Street installments continue to reject overt meta-humor in favor of crafting more relatable characters.

Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is available on Netflix now, with Part 2: 1978 and Part 3: 1666 releasing on July 9th and July 16th.

MORE: This Brilliant Sci-Fi Thriller Slow Morphs Into An Outer Space Slasher