10 Recent Movies That Let You Down INSTANTLY

The fourth entry into Netflix's beloved series of R.L. Stine horror adaptations sounded like a sure hoot on paper - a homage to '80s slasher flicks set amid a high school prom.

But right from the jump, this feels like an epic step down from Leigh Janiak's work on the original trilogy - who was not involved with Prom Night - as evidenced by its woefully expository opening dialogue and surprisingly listless attempt to capture the vibe of the decade.

Yet the kills are still great, right? Not quite.

The opening death sees prom queen candidate Christy Renault (Ariana Greenblatt) get butchered by an axe-wielding masked assailant, and yet, the scene bafflingly cuts away at the critical moment, ensuring audiences can't savour the gory outcome.

Given that the Fear Street franchise is well-noted for its wild gore effects - who can forget the infamous bread slicer scene from Fear Street 1994? - it's a puzzling decision which suggests Prom Night will be a decidedly more sanitised romp.

And while there absolutely are some grislier death scenes later in the movie, none of it lives up to the insanity of the original trilogy, without even getting into its inferior story, characters, and script.