Fear Street Part 3: 1666 is as bloody and violent as its predecessors; though its 1666 setting can feel a bit slower than previous instalments.
Fear Street Part 3: 1666 continues the gore-fuelled saga of Sarah Fier, and the witch’s curse, as Deena, our main protagonist, embodies the character in the third installment. Through a magical telekinetic connection, Deena is able to see and experience the events that lead to the witch’s curse. This positions her and previous cast members as new characters in Sarah Fier’s story, in 1666.
This is done relatively well, as it allows some beloved actors to return in new ways; however, this requires many of the cast to struggle to commit to era-appropriate accents, which is fine at the best of times and painful at the worst, questioning whether or not this was the wisest decision from a casting perspective. Though Deena’s embodiment of Sarah Fier makes sense, it does not entirely explain the purposes of using the other cast members in this way, which can be a bit confusing. Apart from Ashley Zukerman, who plays multiple members of the Goode family, the rest of the cast is never confirmed to be playing ancestors, or if they are simply Deena’s delusions.
The 1666 setting of the film is simply not as interesting as 1994 or 1978. What was great about the previous two installments was the nostalgia and homages to the films of the era. With 1666, there is not enough of this, sure they are definitely playing homage to films that have depicted witch trials, and this particular era, but it’s not done to the same effect. That being said, I appreciate that they took this story of a witch, and turned it into something more interesting. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was not Sarah Fier who was evil, but rather the ironically named Goode family.
Instead, the film takes a bit of a feminist twist; wherein, Sarah Fier is ultimately the tragic hero, forced to take the blame for the curse that plagues the town in order to save the woman she loves. The curse, a deal with the devil, enacted by Solomon Goode, choosing one person every few years to become a possessed murderer, in order for the Goode family to maintain power, wealth, and privilege. It is nice to see a change in the formula, not only is a man ultimately responsible for witchcraft, but it comes as a surprise as Ashley Zukerman does a fantastic job at playing up the well-intentioned and psychologically tormented loners, in both Nick and Solomon Goode.
What works really well between the parallel timelines is the similarities between Sarah in 1666 and Deena in 1994, both falling in love with someone with whom having a relationship would prove challenging to say the least. Hannah and Sam, the respective love interests, both played by Olivia Scott Welch, act as unintentional foils for Sarah and Deena, who, for the most part (save for a few glimpses of the “real” Sarah Fier), is played by Kiana Madeira.
It is Madeira and Welch’s chemistry that is the heart of all three Fear Street films. Though problems of love are ultimately remedied for Deena and Sam, the same cannot be said for Sarah and Hannah. It is heartbreaking to watch as Sarah sacrifices herself to spare Hannah from hanging for being a witch, though it gives us a view as to what could have happened, should our protagonists in 1994 fail.
What I really appreciated about Fear Street Part 3 was the time spent back in 1994, as shown in Fear Street Part 1. 1994 is the most interesting part of the trilogy, and returning to this timeline repeatedly is the thread that ties the series together. It is a return to the main conflict of the series and having the Goode family become villains in the final act, really changes up the dynamic of the finale.
Not only are we worried about reanimated serial killers and mass murderers, but there is an additional threat in Nick Goode. That being said, some of the most exciting scenes still involve the Shadyside murderers, in particular one scene when they turn on each other à la Freddy vs. Jason.
With Fear Street Part 3: 1666 wrapping up its first trilogy, in essence, its “first season”, there are still enough loose ends, and a cheeky after-credits scene, to justify more installments. I personally would love to see more from this series of films and to see what other eras and tropes could be explored.
Want to discuss things further? Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. And for more film, gaming, anime, and TV news, trailers, and updates make sure to keep it locked right here at The Nerdy Basement. While you’re here, please consider supporting us on Patreon! It’s an easy way of supporting us so we can keep proving you with your Nerdy News!