A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

8/10

Starring

John Saxon

Ronee Blakley

Heather Langenkamp

Amanda Wyss

Directed by Wes Craven

This is both one of the best slasher and horror movies that I have seen. The movie toys with you, are we in reality or a dream. In the movies first twenty minutes you hear Tina’s name being called to taunt her, you are wondering is she dreaming at the moment or is this real.

This duality is one thing that makes this movie a masterpiece and praises goes to Wes Craven who wrote and directed this masterpiece. In the end this was a grand opening to a franchise that spanned over two decades although none of the sequels were a match for this introduction to Freddy Krueger.

One, two Freddy's coming for you. Three, four better lock your door. Five, six grab your crucifix. Seven, eight gonna stay up late. Nine, ten never sleep again.

I recall singing this song to scare my sis when we were younger.

The movie plot starts with a focus on Tina which if you are just joining the series sorry if you get attached to her, because this movie is about Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp). I enjoyed the way the movie just transferred its focus from Tina to Nancy.

After the death of her friend Nancy is horrified. The challenge is that she and her friend had the same dream about a man (Freddy Krueger) with a burnt face and a glove with long razors which made it look like he had long nails. Nancy stayed with her friend only for the friend to be murdered while Nancy was there.

We see this death and realize something, all the things happening in the dream to the friend was having was also happening to her in real life. She was cut to death in her dream and the same cuts appeared in reality killing her.

Nancy too experienced this on her first day back to school after the incident. In a dream Freddy was chasing her when she burnt her hand in the dream and the same burnt was there when she woke up.

Soon we learn that there is more to this person hunting Nancy and her friends in their dreams than their parents are making us believe.

This was Johnny Depps first feature film and this movie was before another Craven's classic franchise Scream.

The acting in this movie is amazing and one thing i cannot forget about this movie is how the pacing has you engaged. It got so engaging I forgot at a time where i was.

You have to hand it to Craven, his directing with the musical score delivered the need thrill and scare to make you enjoy this movie to the max.

All you have to see is this first movie in the franchise, the other two that follow are ok but this was the best.