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Hello fellow spooks and creeps!
I love the A Nightmare on Elm Street films. I have loved them since I saw them for the first time. I ended up watching Scream, another fantastic series by Wes Craven, before I got to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street which isn't entirely my fault because my mom was the one introducing me to horror movies. At the time she was in the mood to watch Scream, so that was what we watched.
Anyhow, I discovered the movies one night while my mom had friends over and I was channel surfing. HBO was having an A Nightmare on Elm Street marathon and I caught the last 15 minutes of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Up next was Dream Masters so I continued watching and ended up watching The Dream Child as well. The A Nightmare on Elm Street films are such a huge part of the horror world that I had to give my rankings of the movies from my least favorite to my favorite, so without further ado...
#9 - Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
I honestly don't have much to say about this one. Freddy's Dead is the first 3-D film that New Line Cinema put out, so there's that.
It's fun to watch, which is good because there is no real way to take it seriously. There is pretty much no debate that this is the lowest point in the series. The plot doesn't make sense and most of the movie is made up of scenes we have already seen in other Nightmare movies. This includes the looping from Dream Master and the realization that Freddy can die by pulling him into the real world. You know, the literal climax of the first film. It also does a great injustice to Freddy's character and just turns him into a full-blown cartoon character which is annoying. Sure Freddy has always cracked jokes and been witty but this is different and somehow cringey. Overall the movie is a mess and I very much dislike it.
#8 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
This was the second Nightmare movie I watched. When I first watched it I loved it so much but as I watched all of them it slowly worked its way down my list. It is in no way as bad at Freddy's Dead but it still isn't a masterpiece either. It's the conclusion to the plot started in Dream Warriors, so it has that going for it, depending on how you felt about that ongoing storyline. While the movie is an original concept that doesn't make it good. It still repeats past beats and the characters are forgettable. Honestly just like Freddy's Dead I don't really have much to say on this one.
#7- A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this one. On one hand, it is a unique experience, but on the other, it is kind of like a one-off from the rest of the series (if you ignore Freddy's Dead). For those of you who don't know as to why the tone of this movie was so bizarre compared to the rest of the movies, it is because David Chaskin wrote this movie with homoerotic subtext, and this is the only movie to have that be the case. The director, Jack Sholder, had no idea this as the case. Jesse was an interesting character who Freddy wants to possess and honestly considering what all goes on in this series that is one of the least crazy things to have happen. Mark Patton played Jesse, though he wasn't the original choice. Michael J. Fox was considered for the role but had other movies he was working on at the time.
#6 - A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
About 10 years ago someone decided that they wanted to try to reboot a very special horror franchise. The fans did not like this idea, so the movie tanked.
However, all things considered, it is a decent movie. It takes a story we already know and decides to add more to it. For example, in this one, Freddy has a closer connection with the teens, in that he knows them personally. Unlike his connection from the original film only being that he lived in the same town as them, in this one he worked at their preschool. This one does decide to go the extra mile with why Freddy Krueger was such a monster, and honestly, I didn't feel it was necessary, but it was an idea that Wes Craven had at one point. He just had the good sense to not make it cannon. Another major downfall of this movie is that Freddy is not played by Robert Englund. However, this is also a way different Freddy, grosser and more serious. He tries to make witty quips, but they tend to fall flat in my opinion. This is one that my mom and I have watched together many times since it has come out. I enjoy it, but I also understand why some don't.
#5 - Freddy vs Jason (2003)
Of course, I'm going to include this one. I'd be crazy not too! It is technically a part of the series and it is just so good. This movie took two of horrors most recognizable icons and pitted them against each other.
Freddy Krueger of the Nightmare series and Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th series. Just like Freddy's Dead, this movie is not to be taken seriously. However, unlike Freddy's Dead this movie understands this and embraces it. It's campy and gory and fun. I have always watched it as a pure comedy with dope kills. The whole movie builds up to one massive showdown that does not disappoint. You have Freddy dropping his normal one-liners, while Jason is his normal quiet self. I have honestly not met anyone who doesn't at least like this movie. This movie is also the final time that Robert Englund played Freddy, but he has said he is open to one more. This movie also stars Katharine Isabelle that was also in the cult movie Ginger Snaps.
#4 - Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
This one is actually my mom's least favorite and Robert Englund's favorite, but this isn't their list, it's mine and I love this movie. It was basically a predecessor to Scream which is another series, as mentioned before, that I love dearly.
It's meta and bizarre which are to of my favorite things. The only reason that it isn't higher on the list is that it came so late in the series. I remember the first time I watched it I was confused but soon started to enjoy it quite a bit. Plus, we saw the return of Heather Langenkamp as the main character, though instead of playing Nancy she plays herself. Freddy's design is a little different too, but he is put together as Craven originally planned. Which means he is a little more menacing and less comical. This is also the only other Nightmare film that Wes Craven directed, and he even stated that when he watched all of the other sequels to his movie he couldn't follow the storyline and he felt they were weak hen compared to his masterpiece.
#3 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
This one is widely regarded as the last "good" one in the original series. It brings back Nancy after Freddy's Revenge decided to tell the story of Jesse instead.
In all honesty, this one just straight up ignores the second one. It starts the odd storyline about Freddy's mother, that is finished in The Dream Child. Dream Warriors has some of the most creative scenes and a plot device that is used later in the series, and continuity is always good. This one is also full of so many greats one-liners from Freddy that I constantly hear people quote. I have met many people that when I ask which one is their favorite this is the answer and honestly that does make sense. The acting is... well it's better then we see later in the series. The practical effects are amazing as pretty much always this early on in the series, and this is the start of the super comedic Freddy. You know, before he jumps off the deep end.
#2 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
Okay, let me explain myself. I know a lot of you are confused as to why this is so high on the list and especially as to why it is above Dream Warriors. Honestly, it is because this is the first one I watched all the way through. I have seen it so many times and I enjoy it each time. Sure it's ridiculous but in a good way. The scene where Debbie gets turned into a roach slowly is probably my favorite scene in the whole series. I love the effects used and I remember the first time watching it being both grossed out and intrigued. It sucks that the actress for Kristen was changed, but it wasn't a big enough change to ruin the movie for me. Overall the movie is very campy, but it holds a special place in my heart.
#1 - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
What other movie could hold this spot besides the first one? It's a classic in every sense of the word. It saved New Line Cinema from bankruptcy, causing them to be called "The House That Freddy Built". Plus it introduced the world to Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. The child-killing psycho, with a quick wit and an iconic look, that took 3 hours to put on. Horror would not be what it is today if not for this series, as well as a couple of others. The movie also helped launch Johnny Depp's career which is something we should always be thankful for. This movie cost approximately 1.8 million dollars to produce, which it made back in the opening weekend.
So, that is my rankings on all of the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies. I'm sure it differs from your list, but I am curious as to how you rank them. Tweet me @lmchorrorblog with your list of rankings. Also I know I said in my last blog post that the first post of the month would be a Horror Artist of the month, but I want to get more post up before I go doing that so probably next month. Thank you so much for reading!!
Stay Creepy!
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