SPOILER WARNING: The next article provides away many essential plot factors from each Worry Avenue: Promenade Queen and Promenade Evening. When you have not seen both horror movie earlier than, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I understand how difficult it have to be to make a slasher film really feel recent, particularly at this level within the horror subgenre’s decades-long historical past. Nonetheless, I fail to acknowledge how Worry Avenue: Promenade Queen – now accessible with a Netflix subscription – tried to face out from its traditional horror film friends in any approach.
Actually, after watching the newest horror film based mostly on R.L. Stine’s in style guide collection not known as Goosebumps, I made a decision to strive an ‘80s slasher film that additionally takes place at a doomed faculty dance, Promenade Evening, for the primary time. Not solely may I inform how the brand new Netflix film, which even takes place within the late Eighties, is clearly impressed by the 1980 cult hit, however I usually felt just like the 2025 film was virtually precisely the identical, and for 3 essential, distinct causes. Permit me to elucidate…
The Protagonists Are Haunted By A Previous Crime
In each slashers, the “Ultimate Woman” is grieving the homicide of an in depth member of the family. For Lori Granger (India Fowler) in Worry Avenue: Promenade Queen, it’s her father, whereas in Promenade Evening, reigning Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis’ Kim Hammond and her household are combating the demise of her youthful sister, Robin, from six years earlier.
The similarities don’t cease there, as every movie’s respective previous crime has a false prime suspect. Lori’s mom was beforehand accused of her father’s homicide, which we later uncover was the work of snotty promenade queen candidate, Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), and her psychotic mother and father (performed by Chris Klein and Katherine Waterston). Robin’s demise is pinned on a recognized baby predator, however was really brought on by 4 of Kim’s classmates who turn out to be focused by the masked killer, who’s revealed to be Kim’s brother, Alex (Michael Robust).
Whereas I might give factors to Promenade Queen for not making the Shadyside carnage an act of revenge, I feel copying the Promenade Evening killer’s motivation not less than would have been extra plausible than successful a silly highschool dance competitors.
Two Predominant Characters Combat Over The Identical Boy
Lori’s darkish previous and the race for the crown are usually not the one issues heating up her and Tiffany’s rivalry within the new movie. Lori has a factor for the bully’s boyfriend, Tyler (David Iacano), and it shortly turns into clear that the jock would moderately be together with her. In fact, he seems to be a little bit of a douche and will get a knife plunged via his cranium, so it does probably not quantity to a lot anyway.
There may be additionally a vicious, however finally frivolous, love triangle on the heart of Promenade Evening. Kim’s boyfriend, Nick (Casey Stevens), used up to now Hamilton Excessive’s snottiest woman, Wendy (Anne-Marie Martin), who makes an ill-fated try and win him again on the dance, and never simply because she finally meets a bitter finish, as properly.
You may say that Promenade Queen not less than tries one thing completely different with its romantic rivalries by making the Ultimate Woman the one vying for the snob’s boyfriend this time, however that’s the extent of its already weak try and be completely different.
Heads Roll
That is the large one: the second that satisfied me Worry Avenue: Promenade Queen is not only a sufferer of slasher film cliches that had been already tiresome when Promenade Evening launched 45 years earlier. Each movies include a scene by which a rolling severed human head seems within the health club, scaring the residing daylights out of the younger promenade attendees.
Admittedly, every second is depicted in vastly other ways. Within the newly launched movie, the top is just not actual however a part of a prank crafted by Lori’s rebellious finest good friend, Megan Rogers (Suzanna Son). Nonetheless, the top in Promenade Evening is actual, belonging to highschool bully Lou Farmer (David Mucci), and eventually alerts the group {that a} killer is on the unfastened.
Regardless, the makers of Promenade Queen (which, from what I perceive, bears little resemblance to Stine’s 1992 guide) ought to have recognized that comparisons to Promenade Evening had been inevitable and nonetheless integrated a scene fairly just like one in all its most memorable moments. Some would possibly name it an homage, however I name it shameless.
If you happen to streamed Worry Avenue: Promenade Queen on Netflix and ended up liking it, I’m genuinely blissful for you, however I have to disagree, and never simply because it pales compared to 2021’s Worry Avenue trilogy (three of the very best horror films on Netflix). Nonetheless, I have to admit, I didn’t get pleasure from Promenade Evening that a lot both, not less than as a lot because the awesomely tacky film that adopted it, 1987’s Hiya Mary Lou: Promenade Evening II, which sees Hamilton Excessive tormented by a pupil’s vengeful possessive spirit. If these generic slashers put you within the temper for a wild, even wacky palette cleanser, strive that together with your Amazon Prime subscription or a Shudder subscription.