A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) ****1/2
The Nightmare On Elm Street franchise has always been my favorite slasher series. I enjoy the Halloween and Friday The 13th films, but there is just something about NOES that hits all the sweet spots for me. The NOES movies have the gore and the scares but also have more creativity and cinematographic flair than either of those aforementioned series. They also, of course, feature that indelible villain for the ages, the dream demon serial killer with endless one-liners, Freddy Krueger (brought to life by the one and only Robert Englund). Not to mention, Charles Bernstein delivered one of the all-time great horror themes.
Before he hammed it up in the sequels (and I love hammy Freddy too), Krueger (Fred here) was more menacing and scuzzy in Wes Craven's classic 1984 original—often lurking in the shadows, rather than being featured front and center. And much as I love the FK character and performance, A Nightmare On Elm Street is equally (if not more so) Nancy Thompson's film. As portrayed by Heather Langenkamp, Nancy is one of the most resourceful and likable horror heroines in the history of the genre. She's neither submissive nor a sex symbol, and she is incredibly relatable. Nancy is a vulnerable character, but she simply has a will to live and fight, and she refuses to let her dreams (and by extension Krueger) control her destiny.
I have vivid memories of being particularly scared by the first three NOES films when I was young, but I've always loved them regardless. They are some of the earliest horror movies I can recall seeing, as a tween. I'm somewhat of an apologist for even the weaker entries in the NOES series (my reviews for those here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).
Before Freddy was a phenomenon of the '80s, on every (sometimes inappropriate) piece of merchandise imaginable, he was a truly frightening figure in a little low budget film that became a hit, "built" New Line Cinema, and spawned a franchise. Some of the effects in ANOES are a bit dated or even cheesy (though some still hold up very well), and the film is a tad clunky at times, but it honestly just adds to the charm. I will always appreciate what Craven accomplished here and ANOES will always be one of my favorite horror flicks. (And can we talk about how 213's song "Nightmare," which plays over the end credits, kicks ass and has sadly never been released?)
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