After the success of the first three movies, Netflix’s Fear Street film series continues with Fear Street: Prom Queen, based on The Prom Queen, R.L. Stine’s 1992 novel from the beloved book series. The trailer promises an unforgettable, bloody night, and if it’s anything like its predecessors, it’s certain to deliver plenty of frights, gore, and brutal kills. Overlapping with the original trilogy’s timeline, the standalone entry is set in 1988 and focuses on the familiar Shadyside High School. As students anticipate prom, the “It Girls” in the running for Prom Queen are targeted by an unknown killer. Directed by Matt Palmer (Calibre), the film stars India Fowler, Ella Rubin, Suzanna Son, Ariana Greenblatt, David Iacono, Fina Strazza, Chris Klein, Lili Taylor, and Katherine Waterston.
Fear Street: 1994, Fear Street: 1978, and Fear Street: 1666 drew inspiration from various horror movies, like Halloween, Scream, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Faculty, and The Witch. In an interview with Collider about the next installment, Palmer shared, “The entire movie is a love letter to ’80s slasher movies, it’s really seeped into every frame of the movie. There’s a bunch of slasher movies that I’m crazy about — Happy Birthday to Me, Sleepaway Camp, and Pieces to name just a few — and the idea was to try and make a ‘lost slasher classic,’ as if the movie had been locked in a vault since 1988 and only released now.”
- Release Date
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May 23, 2025
- Director
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Matt Palmer
- Writers
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Matt Palmer, Donald McLeary
- Producers
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Jenno Topping, Peter Chernin, Kori Adelson
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India Fowler
Lori Granger
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Fina Strazza
Tiffany Falconer
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Ella Rubin
Melissa McKendrick
The film is certainly not the first in the genre built around what’s supposed to be a teen’s most magical, fun night. While you wait for Fear Street: Prom Queen to premiere on May 23, you can enjoy the 10 prom horror movies on this list, all of which are sure to get you excited about the bloodbath to come.
10
‘Carrie’ (1976)
- Release Date
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November 3, 1976
- Runtime
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98 minutes
- Director
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Brian De Palma
- Writers
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Lawrence D. Cohen
- Producers
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Paul Monash
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Piper Laurie
Margaret White
-
-
-
A prom horror movie list wouldn’t be complete without this picture that inspired generations of Halloween costumes: Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, Carrie. With a new spin on the story and a pulpy, visceral style, the director turned Carrie into one of the greatest and most iconic horror films of all time. For those who’ve yet to experience its splendor: Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is a shy, lonely 16-year-old with telekinetic powers. Her cruel classmates bully her on a daily basis. At home, she lives under the tyranny of her abusive, fanatically religious mother.
The Best High School Horror Film Ever Made
Her peer Sue Snell (Amy Irving) empathizes with her and convinces her popular boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to take Carrie to senior prom. Finally, Carrie starts to feel love and acceptance, but unfortunately, a cruel act leads to one of the genre’s biggest tragedies. This unforgettable coming-of-age tale touches on self-discovery, isolation, repressed trauma, ostracism, and so much more. The 2002 remake is wildly different, and 2013’s is basically the original set in modern times.
9
‘Prom Night’ (1980)
After Carrie, Prom Night is the most well-known movie on this list. The slasher whodunit follows a group of 11-year-old kids who, while playing in an abandoned building, unintentionally kill Robin (Tammy Bourne), a 10-year-old who wanted to play with them, while teasing her. They swear each other to secrecy, but years later, it’s evident that someone knows what happened. As the high school seniors look forward to prom night, the teens are stalked by a masked killer. Also coping with the past is Jamie Lee Curtis’ Kim Hammond, Robin’s older sister and the prom queen.
A Chilling Tale of Revenge
While Prom Night lacks the critical reception and direction of Curtis’ first couple of forays into horror, Halloween (1978) and The Fog (1980), it’s still an essential entry in the genre, especially as far as ’80s horror is concerned. The movie perfectly captures the era, and is an enjoyable slasher romp you won’t regret watching.
8
‘Student Bodies’ (1981)
- Release Date
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August 7, 1981
- Runtime
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86 Minutes
- Director
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Mickey Rose, Michael Ritchie
- Writers
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Mickey Rose
-
-
-
Jerry Belson
The Breather
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Before the Scary Movie and Scream franchises, there was the ’80s parody slasher Student Bodies, the first to ever satirize the subgenre. A small-town voyeuristic serial killer known as The Breather (voiced by Richard Belzer) is stalking and murdering the students and teachers of Lamab High School. A la Ghostface, he has a penchant for calling his victims on the phone, breathing heavily on the calls and disguising his voice through a rubber chicken.
A Ridiculously Good Time
The movie pokes fun at films like Hallowen (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and the aforementioned Prom Night and Carrie. It also references the giallo tradition of a black glove-wearing assailant, except here, he wears dishwashing gloves. His ridiculous choice of weapons includes paperclips, blackboard erasers, and bookends. If you’re a lover of ’70s and ’80s horror, this movie will be a hoot.
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7
‘Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II’ (1987)
Prom Night may not have been a critical success, but it was a commercial one, making a franchise inevitable. Out of the three anthology sequels — Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987), Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990), and Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil (1992) — Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is the best, and arguably the crown jewel of the franchise. If you’re looking to get into the mood for Fear Street: Prom Queen and can appreciate the charm of C-tier slashers, you can’t go wrong with watching all four wildly different films.
A Unique Supernatural Slasher
Surpassing the original, the film tells the story of a vengeful prom queen ghost, Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage), the 1957 prom queen of Hamilton High, who was gruesomely killed on stage the night she was crowned, after a vicious prank. Three decades later, she torments a new generation of teens gearing up for prom by possessing teenager Vicki Carpenter (Wendy Lyon). The sequel is a blend of ’80s nostalgia, horror, and dark humor that will delightfully surprise you.
6
‘Prom Night’ (2008)
- Release Date
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April 11, 2008
- Runtime
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90 Minutes
- Director
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Nelson McCormick
- Writers
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J.S. Cardone
- Franchise(s)
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Prom Night
The 2000s saw an explosion of horror remakes with movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), House of Wax (2005), Black Christmas (2006), Sorority Row (2009), Friday the 13th (2009), and many others. 2008’s Prom Night is the reimagining of the aforementioned 1980 film of the same name. The only things the two share in common are their titles and prom theme. Featuring an entirely different premise, it focuses on Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow), a teen whose family is murdered by a teacher who’s obsessed with her. A few years later, he escapes from prison and terrorizes her and her friends on prom night.
An Underrated Slasher That Deserves a Shot
Prom Night may not be the finest or most imaginative remake, but it’s certainly not the worst slasher. It gets more hate than it probably deserves. The cat-and-mouse movie is packed with enough action, suspense, and intensity to frighten and entertain. If you love Y2K horror, you won’t regret giving it a shot.
5
‘Dance of the Dead’ (2008)
- Release Date
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October 14, 2008
- Runtime
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95
- Director
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Gregg Bishop
- Writers
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Joe Ballarini
Dance of the Dead is an independent horror comedy written by Joe Ballarini and directed by Gregg Bishop. Almost every teen looks forward to prom, what is supposed to be one of the most majestic nights of their lives. Unfortunately for a dateless ragtag group of students at Cosa High School — Jimmy (Jared Kusnitz), Lindsey (Greyson Chadwick), Steven (Chandler Darby), and Kyle (Justin Welborn) — that isn’t the case. When zombies rise from the local cemetery, it’s up to them to band together and save everyone dancing the night away.
For Fans of Sam Raimi
If you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010), you’ll appreciate Dance of the Dead. After securing a distribution deal with Lionsgate, the film was hand-picked by filmmaker Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) to be one of the first eight movies released as part of his Ghost House Underground imprint. If it could impress such a legend, then you know the movie did something right.
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4
‘The Loved Ones’ (2009)
- Release Date
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September 13, 2009
- Runtime
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84 minutes
- Director
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Sean Byrne
- Writers
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Sean Byrne
Films like Lake Mungo (2008), The Babadook (2014), and Talk to Me (2022) prove that Australia knows how to create distinctive, prestige horror. Among the country’s most premier is the torture film The Loved Ones, which spawned one of horror’s most terrifying and underrated villains, Lola Stone (Robin McLeavy). The seemingly sweet, timid teen is politely rejected by her classmate Brent Mitchell (Xavier Samuel) when she asks him to prom, as he’s already going with his girlfriend. Shortly after, she kidnaps him and traps him in her basement, where she holds a prom of her own and tortures him with the help of her equally psychotic father.
A Smart Movie That Flips the Script
The Loved Ones divinely subverts the final girl trope by flipping traditional gender roles in the genre and, in turn, pushing male viewers to empathize with fears and tribulations that are repeatedly dismissed by society because they’re typically exclusive to women — stalking, objectification, getting hurt by a man for rejecting his romantic/sexual advances, sexual assault, gender violence.
3
‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)
Initially a flop for being misunderstood by critics and audiences, and thanks to a horrible marketing campaign targeted at the male gaze, the darkly comedic Jennifer’s Body has since become a beloved cult classic and is considered among the greatest of feminist horror. Megan Fox slays as Jennifer Check, a teenage cheerleader who’s transformed into a succubus after a sacrifice gone wrong in a lousy band’s attempt to get rich and famous. Her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) struggles with her profound love for Jennifer and knowing that someone must put an end to her carnage.
One of the Best Confrontations in Horror
Things come to a head on prom night in an abandoned pool, in one of the most iconic scenes of the genre. Jennifer’s prom dress is another look that has gone down in the costume hall of fame, and so is Needy’s atrocious outfit of the evening. The movie makes for a perfect rewatch (or first time viewing) before Fear Street: Prom Queen, as it offers a subversive, clever take on traditional high school tropes.
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2
‘Detention’ (2011)
- Release Date
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April 6, 2012
- Runtime
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93 minutes
- Director
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Joseph Kahn
- Writers
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Mark Palermo
- Producers
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Mary Ann Tanedo, Robert Abramoff, Josh Hutcherson, Richard Weager, Clayton Reaser, David Kang
-
Josh Hutcherson
Clapton Davis
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Shanley Caswell
Riley Jones
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-
Dane Cook
Principal Karl Verge
Before making it big with The Hunger Games in 2012, Josh Hutcherson was in a slew of lesser-known movies, including the 2011 black comedy slasher Detention. When Taylor Fisher (Alyson Woods), the most popular girl at Grizzly Lake High School, is murdered by an assailant dressed as Cinderhella, a popular horror movie character, Principal Verge (Dance Cook), places a group of misfit students in detention on the night of prom, convinced that one of them is the killer. Among them is Hutcherson’s Clapton Davis.
A Divisive Genre-Bending Film
The teens work together to figure out who the real killer is and try to survive the evening. Involving a time travel and Freaky Friday-esque body-swapping scheme, the quirky coming-of-age satirical horror bends the genre unlike anything you’ve seen. This wild ride may not be for everyone, but despite its mixed reviews, there are many who’ve praised the film. Vulture has called it a “future cult classic.”
1
‘Tragedy Girls’ (2017)
- Release Date
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October 20, 2017
- Director
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Tyler MacIntyre
- Writers
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Chris Lee Hill, Tyler MacIntyre, Justin Olson
Tragedy Girls is a bit like if Scream was made from Billy Loomis and Stu Macher’s point of view in the social media age — and if the killers were a pair of pom-pom-carrying mean girls. True crime-obsessed besties McKayla Hooper (Alexandra Shipp) and Sadie Cunningham (Brianna Hildebrand) have a blog called Tragedy Girls, where they discuss everything murder. Willing to do anything to get the following and fame they desire, they take matters into their own hands by brutally committing murders to report on. As their popularity soars and one teen grows closer to her love interest, their lifelong friendship is put to the test. Their reign of terror culminates in a showdown at the prom.
A Lot To Love About the Film
There are plenty of reasons to check out this fun and smart satirical horror. For one, it has two women of color as its brilliant leads, which is practically unheard of in a genre overrun with white women. The movie also sees emerging Scream King Jack Quaid in his first horror role. Tragedy Girls is a fresh take on the slasher, offering plenty of blood-soaked moments, social commentary, and dark humor.