A Nightmare On Elm Street
It’s a sad day for horror as one of its greatest masters passed away last night. Wes Craven created a vast array that transformed the horror genre. From his humble roots of The Last House on the Left to the masterful rule bending Scream, from The Hills Have Eyes, to Dracula 2000, Craven reinvented gruesome creatures and all things that go bump in the night. As the world mourns a life taken too soon, his infamous career will remain and his stories will continue to haunt generations to come…
..but none were as terrifying as Freddy Kruger in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The film centres on a group of teenage friends who start having similarly eerie dreams that result in strange bodily harm even as they wake. Perturbed by the events, when one of them dies, the spirited Nancy Thompson is convinced that there is a killer, able to slice and dice in his dreams. Scared for their lives, the crew start searching for answers as Freddy Kruger descends further into their nightmares...
So, what made this movie so iconic?
For a start, Craven dabbles in territory that should be seemingly safe for us. A lot of times when you have a turbulent nightmare, you awake, unscathed. But in A Nightmare on Elm Street, the deformed Kruger is able to scare, maim and, ultimately, kill you all while you’re taking a nap. Sleep is something unavoidable too, eventually your eyes will strain and close as you are lulled into slumber. Having your killer stalk that conscious territory was an unforgettable element that helped Craven’s work receive universal acclaim. His rich repulsive movie is shocking but, more importantly, spine-chilling. It twirls and slides down your back as goose-bumps embrace you. Atmospheric and bloody, this is Craven’s defining film as dreams transgress into reality.
Of course, A Nightmare on Elm Street wouldn’t be anything without Robert Englund as hideously disfigured villain Freddy Kruger. The iconic actor dabbled in the devilish spook with a great level of fun and fierceness. He is utterly scary and haunts your mind long after watching whilst Englund clearly relishes in the role with rambunctiousness unparalleled in any other movie monsters. Gone are the stoic Michael Myers and Jason. Instead Kruger is completely entertaining whilst still being ghastly too. Although Heather Langenkamp’s determined Nancy is great, this is Englund’s film and a role that many fans are drawn to even to this day.
The music is also impeccable and stalks the film liked the knife man himself. In almost an enchanting way, the alluring score by Charles Bernstein drags you into the nightmarish world of Kruger and his dreamlike world of dismay. There are so many legendary moments that stick within your mind such as the knifed claw that emerges from the bathtub as an unsuspecting Nancy succumbs to the sleep inducing steam or Freddy elongating his arms to scrape across the walls. Not to mention one of Johnny Depp’s starring roles saw his character Glen spayed against the ceilings and walls of his bedroom.
Craven’s masterpiece spawned off many sequels, a subsequent remake, and a television series. But none hold a candle to the truly original feature that is haunting and terrifying to this day. Creepy, jumpy and gory, many films have tried to emulate the presence of Kruger and Craven’s undeniably amazing horror, including recent film It Follows.
But because of Craven’s spirit and passion, it’s A Nightmare on Elm Street that stands as one of the greatest horror movies of all time.