A Nightmare on Elm Street
Year: 1984
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Johnny Depp, Robert Englund & Heather Langenkamp
Runtime: 91 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 31/10/23
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Johnny Depp, Robert Englund & Heather Langenkamp
Runtime: 91 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 31/10/23
Despite being a huge horror fan I’m generally rubbish when it comes to the classic tensile franchises. But after picking up the Nightmare on Elm Street boxset I’m determined to knock off this franchise in due course. What better time to start than Halloween?
When high schoolers Nancy (Heather Lagenkamp), Tina (Amanda Wyss), and Glen (Johnny Depp) start to collectively dream about a disfigured man in a striped sweater trying to kill them using a glove made of knives they are determined to stay awake out of fear of never waking up again.
Considering that A Nightmare on Elm Street is considered one of the ‘all-time greatest’ horror films, I have to admit I’m mildly disappointed with it.
I can see why it would have been so popular in the 80’s as Freddy (Robert Englund) is a truly great villain that puts the likes of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhes to shame. Where the others are mostly silent and simply imposing figures that act with efficiency; Freddy is this wild, unpredictable, and sadistic killer who actively relishes in the act of torturing and murdering his prey.
Englund’s performance is really quite brilliant, and in combination with all the gory makeup effects it makes A Nightmare on Elm Street truly shocking for the time.
When high schoolers Nancy (Heather Lagenkamp), Tina (Amanda Wyss), and Glen (Johnny Depp) start to collectively dream about a disfigured man in a striped sweater trying to kill them using a glove made of knives they are determined to stay awake out of fear of never waking up again.
Considering that A Nightmare on Elm Street is considered one of the ‘all-time greatest’ horror films, I have to admit I’m mildly disappointed with it.
I can see why it would have been so popular in the 80’s as Freddy (Robert Englund) is a truly great villain that puts the likes of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhes to shame. Where the others are mostly silent and simply imposing figures that act with efficiency; Freddy is this wild, unpredictable, and sadistic killer who actively relishes in the act of torturing and murdering his prey.
Englund’s performance is really quite brilliant, and in combination with all the gory makeup effects it makes A Nightmare on Elm Street truly shocking for the time.
But the film is let down by some really awful dialogue and horrendously bad performances from the rest of the cast. You do of course need to set your bar lower for low budget horror, but this is honestly kind of laughable. Lagenkamp doesn’t have the charisma or skill to be the films leading lady, and her co-stars equally lack competence. Nobody talks like a normal human being either, it’s all the most horrendously forced and unnatural dialogue you could possibly find. Compare this even to the original Halloween film and Jamie-Lee Curtis not only manages to work with a bad script but she arguably makes the whole film because her performance is so strong.
The kills are gruesome though, and although they’ve aged poorly so they are rather funny by modern sensibilities, in the mid 80’s this would have been a huge step forward compared to what had come before. Glen’s death in particular features what was at the time the most blood in a single scene ever, and even today it holds up pretty well.
I’m not a massive fan of the ending though, it sort of just arrives out of nowhere and leaves so much unresolved.
I can understand why A Nightmare on Elm Street went on to become one of the big titans of the horror genre, however I don’t think it’s quite as good as I had been led to believe. Englund’s performance really is the highlight of the whole film, and whilst I’d happily watch more films in the franchise for him, I can’t say I’m particularly bothered about anything else.
The kills are gruesome though, and although they’ve aged poorly so they are rather funny by modern sensibilities, in the mid 80’s this would have been a huge step forward compared to what had come before. Glen’s death in particular features what was at the time the most blood in a single scene ever, and even today it holds up pretty well.
I’m not a massive fan of the ending though, it sort of just arrives out of nowhere and leaves so much unresolved.
I can understand why A Nightmare on Elm Street went on to become one of the big titans of the horror genre, however I don’t think it’s quite as good as I had been led to believe. Englund’s performance really is the highlight of the whole film, and whilst I’d happily watch more films in the franchise for him, I can’t say I’m particularly bothered about anything else.