Fear Street Part 3: 1666 encapsulates queer yearning in a captivating way, concluding the thrilling, chaotic, and expansive horror story. Among the three films, this one stands out by providing a unique perspective on queerness in the 1600s. While we’ve seen period queer films that delve into the socially-percieved taboo of same-sex relationships, what makes this exceptional is the outstanding performances from the cast. Let’s break it down!
Spoilers Below!
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The third and final installment of Fear Street‘s Curse of the Witch picks up with Deena (Kiana Madeira) in Sarah Fier’s body in 1666. To recap, the second installment ended with Deena reuniting Sarah’s hand with her decomposed body (which was moved by Fier’s friends) at her actual resting place. After she does this, Fier invites Deena to experience her perspective on what happened and how the curse came to be.
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When Deena is back in 1666, admittedly, it feels too modern, just like the other movies do, but Fear Street does a fantastic job of making you not care, thanks to its well-written portrayal. Deena fits in as the town’s unconventional yet likable farmer’s daughter thanks to her charismatic charm, care for animals, and fun-loving nature with her friends. However, trouble is afoot when people start to notice her very close relationship with Hannah Baker (Olivia Scott Welch), who is a descendant of current-day Samantha Fraser. Fear Street perfectly interweaves the cast across the three movies, repurposing them as either direct descendants of the current-day characters or ancestral spirits that inhabit them.
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We saw this happen with Sarah Fier and Hannah Baker as their love continuously lives and burns through different generations. The characterization of their relationship is sweet, giddy, and heartwarming, as their love is too real to ignore. When Fier goes to Baker’s house, she comes bustling out, the two of them incapable of holding back their longing gazes at each other. What makes this moment particularly special is the recurring message that queerness is not a “phase.” Despite how much Hannah/Samantha’s mom attempts to split them from Deena/Sarah, the two are willing to die for each other if it means an eternity together.
And they meant that literally, as we learn that Sarah is not the evil witch Shadyside has made her out to be. One night, Hannah and Sarah attended a party with their friends in the woods with alcohol and berries for drugs (a reference to Kate’s drug name in the first movie). An altercation occurs where Fier embarrasses a creep for groping Hannah in front of everyone before running off with her to the woods. Presumably, the girls had never done anything with each other, given Fier’s hesitance to pursue their sexual feelings. Of course, she’s unable to resist, and it gets pretty steamy on this massive rock before a rustling in the dark woods causes them to stop, and they flee the scene.
Ironically, the two traded a desolate hiding spot for a public one, concealing themselves behind barrels and eventually making out after discussing the possibility of being caught. It was an interesting choice on both their parts, but drama has got to drama! As a result, the town discovers this from the town drunk and blames them for the darkness that has spread over them, with their food supply spoiled by bugs, livestock eating one another, and the eyes of the town’s children gauged out (murdering them) at the hands of the possessed priest (Hannah’s dad).
Fier takes the fall for this, and they hang her in front of the town at the tree, which has carried the whole franchise. It’s devastating and emotional, and everyone plays their role too well. It’s even more heartbreaking that she surrendered herself for Hannah to live and curse the real enemy who caused this forever. We can’t tell you who the true enemy is and spoil everything, but it’s predictable in a refreshing way.
Overall, Fear Street Part 3: 1666 concludes this rollercoaster of terror, emotions, and lore gorgeously. It’s not common for a trilogy to be this consistent in its storytelling and well-loved, but this one does it well!
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