Fear Street Part Three: 1666 is the final entry in Leigh Janiak’s Fear Street trilogy, which was released on Netflix over the space of three weeks. The films tell the story of Shadyside, a town with a dense history of bloody murders that was supposedly cursed by a witch who was hanged centuries before named Sarah Fier. The previous entries introduced us to Deena (Kiana Madeira), a high school student whose girlfriend Hannah (Olivia Scott Welch) has become the curse’s latest host; C. Berman (Gillian Jacobs), a survivor of a massacre at a summer camp in 1978; and an expansive supporting cast of other residents of Shadyside and its more fortunate neighbour Sunnyvale. Part Three makes use of our familiarity with these characters by reusing cast members from both previous entries and establishing their family lines in the town’s history. The one exception here is Kiara Madeira, who takes over as Sarah Fier, the accused witch for the bulk of the film from the audience’s perspective with Elizabeth Scopel serving as her real face in the universe of the movie.
Following on from the ending of Part Two, we and Deena are shown through Sarah Fier’s eyes the events surrounding her hanging that has been so heavily mythologised in the preceding films. Taking place in 1666 in the undivided town of Union, this portion of the story features some of the most confident and, at points, unsettling direction the trilogy has to offer, with one moment in particular being genuinely disconcerting. Though we have been told at least a couple of times what to expect in this earliest story, there is a lot to appreciate beyond the satisfaction of having questions answered. The story takes an unexpected and tragic turn that brings new weight to the entire trilogy and makes clear the ideas it has been gesturing at this whole time. Without spoiling anything, there is a really poetic narrative parallel with the first movie that is the driving emotional story of this section. All this said, this portion of the film exists in the shadow of the present-day story and feels like it cannot possibly carry a whole film, which the film seems to realize about halfway through when it shifts gears and returns us to Deena’s story, having revealed a possible answer to free the town from what haunts it. Though expected, this is an exciting moment and it is cathartic to see things fall into place for a final time.
The 1666 portion of the film is a welcome addition that not only showcases the best of what this concept has to offer but brings the films together in an intelligent and unexpected way, establishing themes of class and historical truth that have only existed on the outskirts of previous installments and contextualising some of its more fantastical ideas. Despite some rough and bizarrely vague accents, it’s a welcome addition.
The second half of Part Three effectively serves as the conclusion for the entire trilogy, both thematically and narratively. Told largely in the form of one extended setpiece, the film is incredibly successful in this regard. The majority of this section takes place in a mall introduced in the first film as its heroes put together an elaborate trap for the magically reincarnated killers that have haunted the previous two entries, all in hopes of finding an opportunity to end the curse once and for all.
Though simple and not particularly scary, this coda to the trilogy is exactly what was needed. As with previous entries, it thrives on the strength of fun characters and endearing performances, as well as some really cool direction and imagery. I did not realise how invested I was in this story until it came to an end. Its closing moments tie the trilogy’s emotional story to its themes in a way that is especially touching with the added context of the 17th-century section.
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 is an interesting film. Detached from the context of both the previous entries and the curious way in which they were released, it could easily feel unbalanced or poorly structured, but there is a consistency of focus and style that brings its two halves together perfectly, despite almost oppositional aesthetics and tones. Part Three represents exactly what this trilogy does best in its foregrounding of believable characters to tell a story that is otherwise grand and messy. Leigh Janiak’s direction is most successful when centred on real people, and the ideas of this final film complement that well, as it constantly reinforces how important every character is to the tapestry of this story and this town.
