The horror genre received a much-needed queer makeover this year with the arrival of Leigh Janiak’s blockbuster trio of Fear Street films, based on R. L. Stine’s beloved teenage novels of the same name. The fantasy-slashers, released over a span of three weeks on Netflix, stars Kiana Madeira and Olivia Scott Welch as Deena and Sam, star-crossed lesbian lovers who try and break the ancient curse that has doomed their hometown of Shadyside for centuries.

While the series has received widespread critical acclaim for its performances, writing and entertainment value, it was ultimately Madeira and Welch’s groundbreaking couple that was singled out for praise by critics and viewers due to the notorious lack of mainstream LGBTQ+ representation in the horror genre.

With all three Fear Street films finally available to stream worldwide on Netflix, we spoke with both of the rising stars about the impact of Shadyside’s resident queer couple, how they would’ve personally handled the horrors of Sarah Fier and whether Deena and Sam will return for another blood-splattered adventure…

How does it feel to be the faces of the queerest horror trilogy ever?

Olivia: It’s genuinely such an honour. Watching the movie come out was so incredible and the response we’ve been getting from the queer community is so cool and positive. Everybody has such a good sense of humour with the movie, and it makes me so proud. It’s been the best time ever.

Kiana: Just like Olivia said, it’s honestly such an honour. From day one, we knew that we were creating something different and unique; something that hasn’t been done before, especially in this genre. Seeing the response so far has been so wonderful. On social media, all the edits that people make for Deena and Sam… I just feel like our empathy and compassion for these characters continues to grow throughout all the different stages of filming, post-production and then it being released. It’s been an incredible experience.

It’s pretty rare for a horror film, let alone a horror trilogy, to have a queer relationship at the forefront. Going into Fear Street, were you aware how groundbreaking this would be for both the horror genre and LGBTQ+ visibility?

Kiana: Yes. From the beginning, I was aware that it was going to be so groundbreaking. Just the fact that it’s a horror trilogy and all three scripts are cohesive, it’s three movies that are telling one big overarching story. The fact that it’s centred around a queer love story, the fact the protagonists, some of them, are people of colour… There’s so many things that make these movies groundbreaking and the scripts are so well written that, when we received them, we could tell it was going to be something really special.