A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street Image
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Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 63 Ratings

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  • Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund
  • Summary: Nancy Thompson is suffering from violent nightmares about a badly burned man wearing a glove made of knives. She quickly learns that this man – child molester Freddy Krueger – is also terrorizing the dreams of her friends and boyfriend, Glen. As they begin to die one by one in their sleep, Np, Nancy learns, that years prior, the parents of Elm Street burned Krueger alive – and now Freddy is back to claim their children’s lives as revenge! As the teenagers of Elm Street fight to stay awake, Nancy must save their lives and her own by bringing Freddy out of their dreams and back into the real world to destroy him forever. (New Line Cinema)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    88
    A Nightmare on Elm Street is tailor made for those who like their gore leavened with thought-provoking ideas - something that is a rarity in this genre.
  2. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    80
    Here the idea of sleep as the ultimate threat is still fresh and marvelously insidious, and Craven vitalizes the nightmare sequences with assorted surrealist novelties.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Gavin Bainbridge
    80
    Turning slumberland into a twisted murderer's den is a masterstroke by Craven, who has brought new blood to a genre that seemed as if it might choke on it's own excesses.
  4. Variety
    Reviewed by: (Staff Not Cretdited)
    80
    A Nightmare on Elm Street is a highly imaginative horror film that provides the requisite shocks to keep fans of the genre happy.

See all 6 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. DravenatorLives
    10
    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.… Expand
  2. MyComicStyle
    10
    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
  3. grandpajoe6191
    8
    The horror may be to shallow for those who expect more, but "A Nightmare on Elm Street" has everything it needs for a movie; horror, creativity, and brutality.… Collapse
  4. mds03
    6
    Wes Craven is a great director, don't get me wrong. But this movie was kind of disappointing. Before I watched it I had heard that it was horrifying but it in the end it really wasn't. All in all it was ok though and at moments it was scary. I'll give it that.… Expand

See all 18 User Reviews

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