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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 one of the best slasher and horror movies I’ve ever seen. The film plays with your mind, constantly blurring the line between reality and dreams. In the first twenty minutes, we hear Tina’s name being called to taunt her, leaving you wondering—is she dreaming, or is this real?

This duality is what makes the movie a masterpiece. Credit goes to Wes Craven, who wrote and directed this classic. It was a brilliant start to a franchise that spanned over two decades, though none of the sequels came close to matching 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 remember singing this rhyme to scare my sister when we were kids.

The plot begins with a focus on Tina. If you’re new to the series, don’t get too attached to her, because the real protagonist is Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp). I loved how the movie seamlessly shifted its focus from Tina to Nancy.

After Tina’s death, Nancy is understandably horrified. The unsettling part is that both she and Tina had the same dream about a man with a burnt face and a glove fitted with long razor blades, making it look like he had grotesque nails. Nancy stays with Tina, only to witness her friend’s brutal murder.

Here’s the terrifying twist: whatever happens in the dream also happens in reality. Tina is slashed to death in her nightmare, and those same cuts appear on her body in real life. Nancy experiences something similar when she returns to school after the incident. In her dream, Freddy Krueger chases her, and she burns her hand. When she wakes up, the burn is still there.


Soon, we learn there’s more to this nightmare than what the parents are willing to admit. Freddy Krueger has a sinister history tied to them, which unfolds as the story progresses.

This was Johnny Depp’s first feature film, and it came before another Wes Craven classic franchise, Scream. The acting is stellar, and one thing I’ll never forget about this movie is how the pacing keeps you hooked. It was so gripping that I lost track of where I was at times.

You have to hand it to Craven—his direction, paired with the haunting musical score, delivered the perfect mix of thrills and scares.

If you’re going to watch the franchise, this first film is all you really need. The next two sequels are okay, but nothing compares to this original masterpiece.


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