Behind the Couch

With a darker edge than its predecessor, a stronger sense of inevitable doom and a deeper dive into the witchy mythology established in the first film, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 continues the story of Shadyside’s imperilled teenagers, flashing back nearly 20 years to explore an earlier massacre brought about by the witch’s curse and how these past events might help Deena and Josh save Sam in 1994. Fear Street was always intended to be a trilogy, and this instalment works to expand the mythology established in the first film and explore more of the backstory of various characters, notably the mysterious C. Berman (Gillian Jacobs), who back in the 70s survived an encounter with the witch and her possessed minions, and therefore offers hope to the teens in the 90s. Most of the film is a flashback to her youth when she, her sister and other Shadyside youngsters face off against an ancient evil at an isolated summer camp. Like the first film, parental figures are conspicuous by their abs...

After a series of brutal murders, the lives of a group of teenaged friends are turned upside down when they discover an evil force has plagued their town for centuries. Based on the series of popular Young Adult horror novels by R.L. Stein (famed for his Goosebump series) Fear Street Part One: 1994 is the first instalment of a trilogy charting the dark, violent history of a small American town cursed to relive tragedy and horror. Directed and co-written by Leigh Janiak, 1994 takes time to reveal itself, from its opening scene in a deserted shopping mall after dark, which suggests a straightforward slasher movie, to the gradual onset of more supernatural events. Before long there’s a whole mythology alluded to. Like its source material, it feels very much geared towards younger audiences, but older generations of horror fans will also find much to enjoy, not least the intriguing story, diverse and sympathetic characters, insanely stylish execution, and references to other horror clas...