Out of all of the classic horror movies that fans still rewatch, there's something about A Nightmare On Elm Street that will always stand out. The pacing, plot, and characters combined with a truly exciting villain make this film a great choice for movie nights, whether at Halloween or any time of year. While many fans prefer the original to the other entries in the franchise, audiences have enjoyed a few of the other movies.
From which sequels are worth watching to why the first movie is so well-crafted and solid, horror fans are sharing their thoughts about A Nightmare On Elm Street on Reddit.
The Setting Of Dream Warriors Is Amazing
There are some fun facts about A Nightmare On Elm Street 3, and Redditor Rechan loves "how epic the nightmares feel" in the third movie in the franchise. The fan wrote, "The production value, the set design, the efforts" are amazing including a "house of hanging bodies."
While some of the sequels have questionable plots, and some fans don't like when Freddy Krueger is written as a funny character, Dream Warriors is beloved for how cool it looks.
Freddy Krueger Is Memorable
Fans keep coming back to A Nightmare On Elm Street because Freddy Krueger is an excellent character.
Redditor spwf wrote that he is a "great, new, original monster," with Redditor spacednlost adding that Freddy is "one of the scariest characters ever." Freddy's appearance just works, from the hat to gloves to striped sweater, and he has become an iconic, easily recognizable and much feared character.
It's A Great, Logical Story
Redditor Blueiguana1976 ranked all the movies in the franchise and called the original film the best, writing that it's "stylish" and "The plot is easy to follow with some good twists and turns to keep it interesting."
While some horror movies go off the rails with big swings and plot twists, A Nightmare On Elm Street definitely has a simple enough story that still feels fascinating, chilling, and exciting.
It's The Essential 1980s Slasher Movie
A Nightmare On Elm Street will always be considered one of the best slasher horror movies and it stands out amongst others from the same decade.
Redditor RadioOnThe_TV called the movie "fantastic" and "The best slasher from that era." While '80s horror movies can feel cheesy and campy by contemporary standards, and fans admit that the original movie does feel a little bit dated, there's still a lot of entertainment to be found in Nancy's story.
New Nightmare Has An Interesting Plot
Redditor ArkRoyal4R09 likes the 1994 movie Wes Craven's New Nightmare, calling it the "most creative story" from the franchise.
In New Nightmare, fans see the actor who played Nancy Thompson, Heather Langenkamp, thinking about starring in another movie about Freddy Krueger. It's a really fun, fresh take on the beloved story, and it's scary imagining that Nancy can never get away from Freddy.
Nancy As A Final Girl
One Redditor wrote that "Heather Lagenkamp is a great final girl" and this is definitely a big reason why fans of chilling stories still rewatch this movie all of these decades later.
Fans feel sympathetic toward Nancy right away as she and her friend group are targeted by Freddy in their nightmares. Nancy is a perfect final girl: intelligent, passionate, and someone who believes in herself and her strength no matter what.
The Original Movie Shows How Scary Nightmares Can Be
While A Nightmare On Elm Street has funny scenes, the franchise is also genuinely frightening.
Redditor GetCasual loves that the first movie "captured the fear in nightmares well." While many horror movies show characters having scary nightmares that they want to wake up from immediately, the idea that going to sleep is more dangerous than staying awake and that a villain can kill people during their slumber is unique and horrible.
New Nightmare Does A Lot For The Franchise
Redditor bradglasses wrote that New Nightmare "Breathed new life into the series at the time." This is significant, as other horror franchises will go on and on and even the most loyal and passionate fans feel that there is one or two movies that shouldn't have been made.
Watching Nancy as an adult coming to terms with her past and how she can handle the threat of Freddy Krueger is compelling, and since fans love Nancy so much, it makes sense to follow her in a new situation.
The Death Scenes Stand Out
Freddy Krueger's kills are gory, and one Redditor likes this horror franchise because of the "creative death scenes."
When compared to other slasher franchises, this one does stand out because Freddy always has a strange way of murdering someone, and fans can never forget some of these moments. It all begins with Nancy's friend Tina who Freddy kills at the beginning of the first movie.
Dream Warriors Has Strong Characters
Redditor RalphTheNerd thinks that there are great characters in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors:"I like the kids joining forces to take down Freddy, and learning to become strong in their dreams."
The movie also has a smart connection to the original, as Nancy is a therapist who helps the main character Kristen, as Nancy is all too aware of what can happen when someone is tormented by Freddy Krueger.