| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
A- |
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| Acting: |
B |
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| Direction: |
A- |
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| Visuals: |
B+ |
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A Revolutionary Horror Classic
by Brando (movies profile)
Sep 25, 2007
45
of
48 people found this review helpful
Director Wes Craven was inspired by a series of newspaper articles to create "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Children were suffering terrible dreams and in desperation, told their parents they were frightened of dying. Then, one by one, the kids started inexplicably dropping away.
And what better foundation to create a horror film? Craven decided that his generation's horror films weren't up to snuff, and tended toward the "slasher" genre that was becoming very popular after the release of "Halloween." He upped the ante by attacking vulnerable young people the only place they felt safe: asleep.
This is an effective and unsettling idea, and is executed with masterly precision. Craven knows how to create suspense while building strong, endearing characters the audience will actually care for. The dream sequences are put together very well, and while the special effects seem dated as compared to today's high-budget Hollywood standards, it is perhaps their gritty, slimy quality that enhances the fright factor.
Overall, the acting is fairly decent. Johnny Depp isn't quite the Johnny Depp we know and love yet, so don't get moist in the panties when you see his name. Heather Langenkamp is convincing as the innocent, virginal girl caught in a web of parental lies and secret cover-ups. But it's Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger who steals the show. Later in the "Nightmare" series, Freddy became a comedic character, and all the scariness was lost. Sure, his face became more mangled, and his style of slaughter grew sophisticated and detailed, but the true allure of the Freddy character is portrayed only in this film.
"Nightmare" revolutionized the modern horror film, and brought science fiction and horror one step closer to each other. This allowed writers and directors to take more challenging projects and demand an imagination of their audience. Like all good things, though, Freddy was sucked in by Hollywood and New Line Cinemas and turned into an absolute joke. It wasn't until the final addition to the straight-up Freddy series, "Wes Craven's A New Nightmare" that the fright and creativity was redeemed, as once again Craven took it to the next level of horror and surreality.
Not only is Craven masterful in his directing, the film is an enjoyable hoot. It's a fun and scary journey into the black heart of a ruthless serial killer -- and cultural phenomenon -- you cannot escape. |
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