Wes Craven is know all around as the master of horror for decades he has been delivering original and horrifying films that have left a lasting impression on cinema. His first film "The Last House on the Left"(1972) help jump-start the slasher genre with John Carpenter's "Halloween" following right behind. Craven use to be known for his originality for his films and his originality and flare for theatrics help shoot him into super-stardom in the early 1980's with his flimsy "masterpiece" "A Nightmare on Elm Street" widely touted as a horror classic. But in reality "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is nothing more than an exploitative , excessively gory, dull horror downer that offers more laughs than chills and takes you on a ride that you thought would be fun but then just turns out to be a boring time at the movies offering up today what filmgoers would call, "Cliché thrills". I had always heard stories about this film; I heard stories of how terrifying it was. How it left viewers with nightmares for dayâ… Expand

A Nightmare on Elm Street is pure psychological beauty that can't be topped by any other horror film. The artistic and mesmerizing storyline will leave you pondering the movie's premise for years to come. This film has aged like a fine wine and can remind you that horror films were once a very good source of entertainment. Bravo.

I'm going to go ahead and say that A Nightmare on Elmstreet puts most modern horror movies to shame. A lack of original ideas had destroyed the horror genre but this, in its day, was an extremely original concept in itself - A dead man killing teenagers in theire dreams and if this franchise hadn't been over used it would still be a great concept.

This 1984 horror classic was and still is a milestone in the history of horror cinema and is the best film of Wes Craven's career, in my opinion. The plot concerns a group of teenagers who are having terrifying nightmares about a strange man who wears a fedora hat, striped sweater and has a knifed glove on his hand. When they ask their parents, they get no response and instead an alarmed look. The main character is Nancy Thompson, who after the death of her best friend Tina pieces together the puzzle and finds out that the "strange man" in her dreams is a child killer named Freddy Krueger, who was burned alive at the hands of grieving parents who took the law into their own hands after he was set free from prison on a technicality. As all of her friends are slashed to death one by one, Nancy must find a way to stop Krueger once and for all. It may sound like the stuff of schlock, but it tells it to you in a way that makes you believe the idea is credible. All the actors are good, but Freddy steals the show. His evil laughter, famous one-liners and his sick sense of humor have all become the stuff of legend. Another notable mention is that a certain Johnny Depp had his first screen role thanks to this film. As you would expect from a 1980s horror movie made on a low budget, the effects look dodgy today but that cannot be helped. Add into the mix an atmospheric musical score and some great direction and you have a recipe for one of the most intelligent and terrifying horror films of the 1980s.… Expand

I love this movie, bought the Blu-Ray and it's still amazing. The story's really good, I think. A girl is haunted by nightmares and after a short while she gets killed in a really gruesome way, well, gruesome for the 80's, but still sick. Then the next girl, Nancy, is haunted, like all of her friends, which one by one get killed. Freddy Krueger might just be one of the creepiest guys you'll ever see in a movie. He also has the most awesome weapon, I mean, c'mon, who can beat a glove with knifes as fingers? I am still really impressed with the facial effects of Freddy. That mask put on Robert Englund's face really makes Krueger a believable, as far as a nightmare murderer can be believable.
So, if you're looking for an awesome horror movie, even if it's old, this one's for you.
Little advise: Don't watch this before you go to sleep. This movie still freaks me out, even if I watched it like 8 times.

I'm your boyfriend now, Nancy!
-Freddy Krueger… Expand

I love every bit of this picture. This is not only a masterpiece of horror cinema, but a masterpiece of indie cinema. Whether you're a budding filmmaker, a horror-freak, or both (I happen to be both), this film is a must-see.

AMAZING.

Loved the movie. I have been reading what critics have been saying and I think it is a bit of a joke. I see how one can objectively judge this movie without seeing the original, but wanting it to "say something" or "send a message" is asinine. It would be a bigger issue if the story got away from the original. For those who right articles and reviews without seeing the original miss that point. I was happy to see an updated version of a great horror flick. I would nudge my wife, which hasn't seen the original as well, at which scenes were derived from the original. I didn't see this as another Jennifer's Body or some other horror film that takes all the 17 years olds… Expand

Freddy Krueger... Brilliant and unique to the world of horror. My favourite horror character of all time; with his corny lines, freakish background before he becomes the monster we love and he is just fabulous (as well as the brilliant actors that played him).

A great horror film the best one ever better than the remake but not by much great i loved this movie the acting was great and introducing Johnny Depp wow great movie and i cant tell you how much better this is than friday the 13th

I Nightmare on Elm Street is a great horror film. It's clever, original, and most importantly, it's actually scary. It's a highlight of maestro of horror Wes Craven's career, and introduced one of the most terrifying and iconic movie monsters of all, Freddy Krueger (chillingly portrayed by Robert Englund). It's Craven's ability to derive scares from our natural fear of the unknown that makes the film work on so many levels. We know so little about dreams, and the idea that they can cross over into the real world is a disturbing concept indeed. You can't underestimate the influence of Nightmare on films either, as without it, you probably wouldn't have Craven's self-deprecating Scream franchise, or such intellectual blockbusters addressing similar material as Christopher Nolan's Inception. Despite its numerous scares and philosophical themes standing up even today, some aspects of A Nightmare on Elm Street haven't quite stood the test of time. The sequence where Freddy walks out of the mist with pantomime-prop-quality extended arms and the infamous rubber legs being dragged through the tiny window border on laughable when watched today. That said, these minor gripes do little to ruin your enjoyment of a seminal horror film. It's not just a slasher flick, there's actually some intelligence behind it, which makes a nice change to the dumb modern Hollywood horror.… Expand

I watched this movie expecting too be scared witless. I was unfortunately not. Sure, the concept is fantastic and original. The villain in the first 3/4 of the movie is quite malevolent, when he isn't using cheesy one-liners. The music builds great suspense, and the movie as a whole does build suspense. But, those are the good things. The acting is sub-par, especially on the part of Heather Langenkamp. I am pretty sure that the death scene with Johnny Depp had more blood then what is in 3 humans. I'll admit that from the start until the deaths of the first two characters, I enjoyed the movie. But, then it got bogged down with campiness. The whole fighting Freddy scene with the elaborate traps was a little far-fetched. I mean she shouldn't know how to do any of those things, but then she suddenly does. But, my main problem with the movie is how Freddy is vanquished. "I give you no energy", seriously? That is the campiest and cheesiest thing I have ever heard in a "horror" movie. It is the worst possible way I can think of to have killed him. Overall, it is a horror classic. However, it should not be a classic. It is not that good of a movie, and I unfortunately do not recommend seeing it.… Expand

A Nightmre On Elm Street Takes you into a new Relam of Horror with The Iconic Freddy Kruger and This movie truly Represents a Living Nightmare. Freddy Kills Each of his victums in a painful way and They cant do anything about it because its in thier dreams. After Seeing this Movie you may never Want to go Back To Sleep

A classic...it will never age! A milestone in the horror genre, that is for sure! There is much to love and nothing to hate about this film (well, we hate Freddy, but we love the idea that he is there, otherwise we wouldn't have had this movie!!! ;) ). Nowadays, there are not many horror movies that can compare to this one...very, very few!

This is my favorite film. There are all i need...
This is most horrible film ever. I always loved this one. Characters have very emotional role. Plot is very original. Horror may be just call horror, but A Nightmare on Elm Street is realy scary.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a cult classic filled with interesting kills and a story that would make one's hair stand on end with great direction by Wes Craven.