Springwood's resident dream stalker Freddy Krueger has slashed his way through nine A Nightmare on Elm Street films, and here's how they stack up. Born from the mind of horror legend Wes Craven, Freddy made a mark on the genre in a way only a select few characters have. Even though Freddy hasn't appeared in a film since 2010 - and since 2003 for original actor Robert Englund - the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise remains just as beloved and popular among fans as ever.
This continued enthusiasm was made evident by the immensely positive reaction to Englund donning Freddy's makeup and wardrobe for a Halloween episode of 1980s-set sitcom The Goldbergs last year. Even many Freddy fans who had never watched a single installment of The Goldbergs tuned in just for the treat of seeing their favorite villain once again, albeit in a comedic setting. Currently, reports say that Wes Craven's estate is now taking pitches for a new Nightmare on Elm Street project, so Freddy likely won't remain dormant for too much longer.
While we wait, here's a full ranking of the Nightmare on Elm Street series, including the six original continuity Freddy films, 1994's meta sequel New Nightmare, 2003 crossover Freddy vs. Jason, and 2010's Nightmare on Elm Street remake. Without further ado, here are the Nightmare movies, ranked worst to best.
9. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
This may seem like the obvious choice for the bottom spot on a Nightmare on Elm Street ranking, but that doesn't mean it's not the correct one. While Jackie Earle Haley does his best to try and escape from Robert Englund's shadow as Freddy, the script and cast surrounding him just isn't very good. While the new Nancy, Rooney Mara, has turned in great performances elsewhere, she admitted after the fact that she really wasn't interested in making this movie, and it shows, as she sleepwalks through her performance. Also, while the Nightmare on Elm Street remake has some interesting new ideas, it too often abandons them to ripoff scenes done better in the original.
8. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
There are many A Nightmare on Elm Street fans with love for every movie Robert Englund plays Freddy in, and it's not hard to see why, as depending on the film, he's either endlessly charismatic or endlessly frightening. Sometimes both at once. Unfortunately, Freddy's Dead was the apex of Freddy's stand-up comedian phase, and most of his jokes fall completely flat, such as "I'll get you my pretty, and your little soul too" while riding a broom. The scene with Nintendo's Power Glove is also groan worthy. Things aren't all bad though, as the look into Freddy's past as a human being is welcome, and gives Englund a chance to play sinister again.
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 can be a frustrating film, as when it's good, it's really good. "It's a boy" aside, Freddy's humor isn't quite as out of control as in Freddy's Dead, and the scenes where Alice (Lisa Wilcox) relives Freddy's conception by rape are legitimately quite creepy. Dan being transformed into a bike is a great example of body horror, and Freddy feeding Greta to herself until she chokes is his cruelest kill to date. The problem is that the body count is extremely low, and the storyline of Freddy trying to possess Alice's child just isn't very interesting, leading up to an anti-climactic finale.
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
There was a time where most fans would've easily ranked A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 as the worst of the Englund films, as the plot is full of holes, it has no real connection to any of the other films, and there are several scenes which are so inexplicable that they defy any kind of rational explanation. However, in more recent years, Freddy's Revenge has been reevaluated by many, thanks to Freddy still being scary and not funny, a unique score by Christopher Young, and fun scenes like Freddy massacring a group of teens at a pool party. Plus, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2's noted gay subtext has made it a favorite of many LGBTQ horror fans.
5. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
By all conventional standards, Freddy vs. Jason is far from a good movie. The human characters are mostly one-dimensional kill fodder, and several plot turns really don't make much sense, such as Jason being terrified of water all of a sudden. As a movie made solely for hardcore fans of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th though, it's a winner, with lots of gory kills, some cool nightmare sequences, a pissed-off Demon Freddy form that looks terrific, some nudity sprinkled in, and a long, brutal final fight between the two iconic slashers that is more than worth the price of admission.
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 is a bit odd, as it marks the point when Freddy started to get too comedic for his own good, such as in the scene pictured above. At the same time, it's a really colorful, well-shot film that introduces a great new heroine in Alice (Lisa Wilcox). The brief return of the surviving Dream Warriors is also welcome, even minus Patricia Arquette. The Dream Master also features some really entertaining, creative kill scenes and nightmare sequences, including one where Freddy dresses up like a doctor, one where Alice gets sucked into a black and white movie, and one where Alice and Dan get trapped in a time loop.
3. Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
A precursor to future Wes Craven hit Scream, New Nightmare casts the stars of A Nightmare on Elm Street as themselves, as well as Craven and executives from New Line Cinema. It seems an ancient demon had been imprisoned inside the essence of the Freddy Krueger character, and when the films ended, the demon was released. Now, a new, darker Freddy is trying to enter the real world, and to do so, he needs to do battle with Heather Langenkamp (Nancy) one last time.
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 isn't quite the best film in the franchise, but it's definitely the most fun. Sporting a heavy metal theme song, a likeable cast of Dream Warriors battling Freddy, and the return of Nancy Thompson, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 is about as good as horror sequels get. Featuring classic lines like "Welcome to primetime, bitch," and brutal kills like turning Philip into a human puppet, Dream Warriors is the perfect blend of fearsome Freddy and funny Freddy.
1. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
It's no secret that with movie franchises, the original is almost always the best. After all, the first movie has to be great and do well to even earn a sequel, much less a series of them. While Wes Craven's original A Nightmare on Elm Street isn't quite the most fun entry in the franchise, it's easily the scariest, presenting a Freddy that's sadistic and unrelenting. There's no real jokes here, and Freddy's few lines are delivered with sinister intent. Nancy is also one of the best heroines in slasher history, and is easy to root for. When it comes to horror, it's never a bad time to revisit the first trip to Elm Street.