A Nightmare on Elm Street
78
metacriticBased on 6 Critics
88
Based on 349 Users

Release Date: 1984

DVD Release Date: September 7th, 1999

R |1 hr 31 min

Plot Summary

In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late?

Cast: John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, Johnny Depp, Charles Fleischer, Robert Englund, Joseph Whipp

Director: Wes Craven

Genres: Horror

Production Co: New Line Cinema

Keywords: Revenge , Friend , House , 1980s , Mystery , Escape , Murder , Suspenseful

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Ratings & Reviews

  • 88
    James BerardinelliReelViews

    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. show more

  • 80
    Empire

    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. show more

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly

    Some of the effects remain nicely repulsive; Freddy himself comes across as a genuinely nasty piece of work, far removed from his later incarnation. show more

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