After the long-awaited fourth entry in Netflix’sFear Streetfilm series, fans ofthe original trilogywere left underwhelmed byFear Street: Prom Queen. If you’re looking for similar,bettermovies to watch instead, we have 10 teen horror adaptations that will scratch the itch.
TheProm Queenletdown has set the internet ablaze. Many have taken to social media to air out their grievances with comments like “Fear Street: Prom Queenis literally one of the worst movies I’ve ever watched. Just remove it from Netflix.” Another user on Twitter said, “#FearStreetPromQueen is quite bad, very bad even. Just a mess on almost every level. If you love the original trilogy like me, you’ll find yourself incredibly disappointed in this slog. Intensely uninteresting and only left me fearing another Fear Street as bad as this one.”
The movie also receivedscathing reviews from critics, and sits at a low 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. Among the bigger disappointments that have been cited are a predictable killer reveal, promising setups that lack any payoff, and one-dimensional characters. Some of those who read the book felt as though the film butchered the source material, which arguably had a better twist.
Fear Street: Prom Queen
Luckily, there are a number of young adult adaptations to select from ifProm Queenfails to scratch that itch. Curated below are 10 teen horror movies based on books that will take you back to your teenage years and your literary fiction roots.
10’I Know What You Did Last Summer' (1997)
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Drawing inspiration from the 1973 YA novel by Lois Duncan,I Know What You Did Last Summeralso takesinspiration from the urban legendof “The Hook.” Four high school seniors who have just graduated want to make the most of their last summer. On the night of the Fourth of July, they accidentally run over a pedestrian. After getting rid of the body, they make a pact to forever keep their crimes a secret. One year later, they reunite in their hometown, and begin to receive threats from a killer wielding a hook.
One of the Most Iconic Slashers
The movie stars ’90s icons Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillipe. Although it didn’t receive great reviews following its release, it has since garnered cult classic status. It spawned a franchise, which includes two sequels and a one-season Prime Video series. A fourth film starring Madelyn Cline is set to be released in July, with Hewitt and Prinze reprising their roles.
9’I Am Not a Serial Killer' (2016)
I Am Not A Serial Killer
Set in a small Midwestern town, this movie follows John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records), a teenager who has been diagnosed as a sociopath. His days are spent obsessing over famous serial killers. By night, he works as an assistant mortician with his mom (Laura Fraser), helping out with her funeral home business. To keep his murderous impulses in check and stay “normal,” he lives by a rigid set of rules. When a string of bizarre murders plagues his town, it upends his life, prompting John to investigate. He begins to suspect his neighbor, Mr. Crowley (Christopher Lloyd), of being the culprit.
A Consistently Surprising Horror Movie
I Am Not a Serial Killeris based on Dan Wells' 2009 coming-of-age horror novel of the same name. The film explores what it means to be human, alienation, and the nature of morality. It’s better to enjoy going into it without knowing much about it, as it surprises viewers with an unexpected twist halfway through that veering the story into an entirely different subgenre.
8’Down a Dark Hall' (2018)
Down a Dark Hall
Down a Dark Hallis another Lois Duncan adaptation. AnnaSophia Robb stars as Katherine “Kit” Gordy, a teenager who is sent to Blackwood Boarding School as a last resort, after her rebellion and misbehaving have become unmanageable. The movie follows her and four other troubled girls who attend the mysterious academy presided over by Madame Duret (Uma Thurman), who helps them uncover their special abilities. As they flourish, however, they find themselves surrounded by sinister forces lurking within the school’s corridors, and discover the headmistress might have ulterior motives.
A Suspenseful, Beautifully Constructed Film
Directed by Rodrigo Cortés (Buried), the movie isa blend of gothic elements, fantasy, and supernatural horror. While it’s not a perfect film, its moody atmosphere and intriguing mystery make it an enjoyable watch. It makes for a good option on a gloomy day when you’re craving a young adult-oriented suspenseful story.
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7’Light as a Feather' (2018 - 2019)
light as a feather
When she moves into town, newcomer Violet Simmons (Haley Ramm) becomes pals with McKenna, played by Liana Liberato (The Beach HouseandTotally Killer), and her friends, Olivia (Peyton List), Alex (Brianne Tju), and Candace (Ajiona Alexus). On Halloween night, the group of girls goes to the cemetery to play the popular game “light as a feather, stiff as a board.” Afterward, the five teens are targeted by a mysterious, murderous force hellbent on killing them. The Hulu series is based on the book of the same title by Zoe Aarsen.
A Quick, Bingeable Watch
Light as a Feathermakes a great addition to teen horror and mystery shows like 2015’sScream,Dead of Summer, andPLL: Original Sin. It has enough teen and horror tropes to keep audiences entertained, anda compelling mysterythat makes certain they remain invested. If you enjoyed the cult classic ’90s horrorThe Craft, you’ll appreciate this series.
6’Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark' (2019)
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Set in a small Pennsylvania town in 1968, this PG-13 banger follows a refreshing group of teenage outcasts — horror lover and writer Stella (Zoe Colletti), the straight-laced and awkward Auggie (Gabriel Rush), and prankster Chuck (Austin Zajur). The group becomes friends with newcomer Ramón (Michael Garza), who’s just passing through town.On Halloween night, they enter the abandoned Bellows house, which has a dark past, and find a storybook that Sarah takes home. Soon, the horrifying stories in the book start coming true.
A Horror Film Adaptation of a Childhood Classic
The movie is every horror millennial’s dream come true. If you were a kid growing up in the ’80s or ’90s, chances are that you read the book series of the same name written by Alvin Schwartz, consisting of three collections of short horror stories. This is a great option when you’re feeling nostalgic, or are looking for the perfect autumnal watch.
5’There’s Someone Inside Your House' (2021)
There’s Someone Inside Your House
After a mysterious, tragic event, Makani Young (Sydney Park) moves from Hawaii to a small town in Nebraska to finish hersenior year of high school.During the time she’s been there, she has found a circle of good friends and has settled into her new home. However, her life is upended when a masked killer emerges, targeting her classmates and exposing their darkest secrets. Finding herself in the middle of a series of gruesome murders, she must face her past to save herself.
A Unique Take on the Masker Killer Trope
The Netflix movie is based on a YA horror novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins, and introduces a unique spin on the genre. Slashers typically feature an unknown assailant who wears a mask. The same holds true here, except the killer wears a mask identical to each of his victims' faces.There’s Someone Inside Your Houseis an excellent entry into the world of teen horror. Just like withI Know What You Did Last Summer, time will be kind to it.
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4’Bones and All' (2022)
Bones and All
The greatly talented Luca Guadagnino directs this adaptation of Camille DeAngelis' coming-of-age horror novel of the same name. Taylor Russell stars as Maren, a young girl who has spent her whole life bouncing around from school to school, in her father’s attempts to keep her lifelongcraving for human flesha secret. After succumbing to her appetite at a sleepover, her father gives up, abandons her, and leaves her to fend for herself. On the road, she meets a drifter, Lee (Timothée Chalamet), who has the same hunger as her, and the two embark on an odyssey across America, meeting others like them along the way.
One of the Most Beautiful Teen Love Stories of All Time
Bones and Allis a tale of self-discovery, but more than that, it’s a love story about two people who help each other grow as they get to know themselves and one another. The film will connect with anyone who has ever struggled with feeling alone and met someone who made them feel less so. It’s romantic, it’s beautiful, it’s tragic, it’s gory, it’s everything a good movie should be.
3’The Midnight Club' (2022)
The Midnight Club
Based on Christopher Pike’s novel,The Midnight Clubis another great Netflix show bythe prolific Mike Flanagan. The writer-director teamed up with writer Leah Fong (The Haunting of Bly Manor)to bring this story to life. It’s centered around a group of terminally ill teenagers who end up at Brightcliffe Hospice together. As they struggle to accept their imminent deaths, they live out their last days in The Midnight Club, meeting up with each other late at night to tell the scariest of stories.
One of the Best Teen Shows Ever Made
Each episode sees the tales they recount to each other play out, but it also follows them as they try to solve the mysteries at Brightcliffe.The Midnight Clubmay be a teen show, but it’s a terrifying one. In typical Flanagan fashion, it also contains profound emotional depth, exploring poignant themes like the inevitability of death and the fears surrounding mortality.
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2’My Best Friend’s Exorcism' (2022)
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
My Best Friend’s Exorcismtakes audiences back to 1988. Best friends Abby (Elise Fisher) and Gretchen (Amiah Miller) attend a sleepover at a lake house with a couple of other friends. Naturally, as teen girls do at slumber parties, the group partakes in a Ouija board session. That night, strange and eerie things start to happen. Upon returning home, Gretchen starts acting unlike herself, developing an extremely mean streak and a gradually worsening sickly appearance. Abby begins to realize that her bestie ispossessed by a demon, and it’s up to her to save her life and soul.
A Remarkable Adaptation
The comedy horror draws its inspiration from Grady Hendrix’s acclaimed novel of the same title. It’s a good choice to watch with friends when you’re looking for something less scary and more in the same vein asNight of the Demons, Lisa Frankenstein, orJennifer’s Body. It’s an enjoyable flick that delves into the power of friendship, the hardships of girlhood, and purity culture.
1’Clown in a Cornfield' (2025)
Clown in a Cornfield
Clown in a Cornfieldis the newest entry into theclown horror subgenre. The book by Adam Cesare on which it’s based won the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Best Adult Young Novel. Like the original story, the film is set in the fictional small town of Kettle Springs, Missouri. Newcomer Quinn Maybrook, played by Katie Douglas (Ginny & GeorgiaandLevel 16), has just moved there with her father, Glenn (Aaron Abrams), following her mother’s tragic death. After bonding with the popular “bad crowd” she’s been warned against, Quinn attends a party in a cornfield, where they’re attacked by a swarm of masked killers dressed as Frendo the clown, the town’s mascot.
Creepy Clown and Exciting Kills
Clown in a Cornfieldhas all the trappings of a mean, gritty slasher, and acts as a throwback to 80s horror. It comes with a penchant for extremely violent and gory kills — a chainsaw, a pitchfork, crossbows, decapitation, you name it. While it has its roots in YA fiction, the film doesn’t dilute the horror at all, making for a thrilling, bloody ride.
