October is finally upon us, and with it comes Halloween. In honor of the season, I would like to pay homage to the spooky brainchild of Wes Craven. Reputed worldwide for his contributions to the horror genre, Craven has become known as the Guru of Gore and Master of Horror. He has created such horror classics as The Hills have Eyes (1977), Swamp Thing (1982),and Shocker (1989), to name a few. He also directed the first four installments in the Scream franchise. While those films are cult classics worthy of praise, they are not the focus of this review. We’re here to look at the beloved horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
A Nightmare on Elm Street is the property of the New Line Cinema production studio. Craven both wrote and directed the film, and Charles Bernstein composed the score. The film starred Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, John Saxon, and Johnny Depp in his film debut. It was released with an R rating after several cuts were made during production at the demands of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to bring it down from an X rating.
The film’s storyline focuses on the character Freddy Krueger, a pedophilic serial killer who was released by the legal system on a technicality. In retribution, the victim’s parents burn Krueger’s house to the ground while he is inside. But this is the start of the true nightmare, as Krueger lives on after the fire as a specter of dreams. He haunts the teenage children of those who killed him, killing them in both their dreams and in real life. Nowhere is safe for the denizens of Elm Street as Krueger continues to seek revenge…
A Nightmare on Elm Street stands out in comparison to its slasher film competition. There is something unsettling about Krueger striking through dreams, the one place where people should be safe. His method of attack creates tension within the film and blurs the line between dream and reality. This tension is supplemented by excellent cinematography by Jacques Haitkin, whose dreamlike shots wonderfully complement the film’s theme.
Later films in the Elm Street franchise would add quite a bit of humor, but the original film maintains its serious tone for the most part. Krueger won’t be making any jokes about a power glove in this movie, at least not yet. The performances are strong and stay true to the tone. Robert Englund’s performance as Krueger is definitely the highlight. Krueger has a much more well-defined personality compared to other villains in slasher movies of the era. He is more three-dimensional in terms of writing than the likes of the Vorhees and Michael Myers. Langenkamp’s performance as Nancy is also a strong selling point, as Krueger’s torment pushes her ever so close to insanity.
The only part of the film that doesn’t land the mark for me is the ending, which goes against the rules that the film had established for Krueger’s powers. The ending we got was the result of a disagreement on the production side between Craven, who wanted to finish on a happy note, and producer Robert Shaye, who wanted to end on a scare. For the most part, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a strong slasher film with interesting themes. While the ending weakens the experience, it doesn’t ruin it entirely.
A Nightmare on Elm Street grossed $26.5 million in the USA against a budget of $1.8 million. It was also released theatrically in Europe, India, Canada, and Australia. The film was a moderate success both critically and financially. There was little to no advertising surrounding the release, yet it still managed to find a market. New Line Cinema was on the verge of bankruptcy prior to Elm Street due to the poor performance of its first three films at the box office, and this movie was its first true success.As a result, New Line Cinemahas been called “The House Freddy Built.” In 2021, the film was inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, an honor reserved for films that are deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a strong horror film that not only launched a franchise and a production studio, but changed the game for slasher films entirely. It is easily one of my favorite films from Wes Craven, and I can’t recommend it enough for horror fans. I’ve even partnered with Amazon to bring you a custom purchase link. If you’re a fan of horror films that push the envelope, I highly recommend checking it out!
