The origins of Sarah Fier’s curse are finally revealed as history comes full circle on a night that changes the lives of Shadysiders forever.
Chuck says:
I have to say, I have not been a fan of the first two entries in Netflix’s first Fear Street trilogy (I’m quite sure there will be more to come), films that wish to be taken as homages but are blatant rip-offs of established horror movies. The fact that director Leigh Janiak is far too fond of gratuitous family speaks to her willingness to shock at the expense of style.
Against all odds, the finale of the trilogy, 1666, proves to be the strongest of the lot, a film that’s not as beholding to other movies but one in which Janiak is able to put a personal stamp on, one that proves intriguing and entertaining.
While the story in both 1994 and 1978 was obscured by its bold set pieces and needless gore, 1666 focuses far on its narrative and is all the better for it. Whereas the first two entries focused on the curse that’s plagued the community of Shadyside, the conclusion of the trilogy sets out to explain the source of the curse and the reason it has stretched across the centuries.
Having reunited the hand of Sarah Fier with her body at the end of 1978, Deena (Kiana Madeira) discovers the truth about the girl who was suspected to be a witch. The action picks up in the town of Union in 1666 where we see Sarah (Madeira) wrestling with her attraction with another woman, something that becomes public and marks her as an outsider. Once it is found that the town’s well has been poisoned, all eyes turn to her, thinking that her unpure thoughts have brought the devil to their community. As a result, harsh recriminations and rash acts occur which lead to the curse that’s dogged the town for over 300 years.
Production values are top-notch throughout, Janiak creating a genuine sense of place, a remote village prone to fear and superstition, its isolated citizens susceptible to being manipulated, finding power in a crowd of reactionaries. The comparison to present-day woes could not be more plain. One of the reasons this is the strongest film of the three is that it actually has something to say, its subtext powerfully rendered, whereas 1994 and 1978 were nothing more than exercises in borrowed style.
Ending on a high-note, I have a modicum of hope that any future movies in the series will follow suit and be as smart and distinctive as 1666. As a stand-alone feature, this one can stand on its own, something its two predecessors cannot claim.
3 Stars
