Here's the unofficial "Nancy" trilogy with the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise ranked worst to best. The success of Halloween led to a slew of slasher movies throughout the '80s, often set during themed holidays and featuring mute killers with a unique weapon. A Nightmare On Elm Street added some freshness to the genre, with its killer Freddy Krueger being both very verbal and using dreams and nightmares to stalk his victims. Freddy himself soon became the star of the saga, which made him more of a comedian as the series evolved.
Just like the original Halloween needed Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers to work, the first A Nightmare On Elm Street is grounded by Nancy Thompson, played by Heather Langenkamp. Nancy was the original "final girl" of the series and the first to beat Freddy. Langenkamp returned to the role two more times with A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, and Nancy herself is one of the most popular final girls of the genre.
The character also returned for 2010's critically drubbed A Nightmare On Elm Street remake, played by Rooney Mara. This ranking will focus on the original franchise, so here is A Nightmare On Elm Street's "Nancy Trilogy" ranked.
3. Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
New Nightmare marked Wes Craven's true return to the series and was the seventh entry overall. Instead of resurrecting Freddy once more, Craven took a very meta approach, exploring the makers of the franchise being confronted by "The Entity," a demonic being taking on Krueger's form. Langenkamp played both herself and Nancy, with the film being a smart, deconstructionist take on the genre.
New Nightmare is one of the series' best, but its lack of kills and slightly overlong runtime are marks against it. The movie also acts as a precursor to Craven's Scream, which managed the mixture of horror and meta-commentary a little smoother. Regardless of what came later, New Nightmare feels like the last word on the Freddy Krueger phenomenon, and it's fitting Craven was the one to say it.
2. A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 is often considered the fan-favorite of series, and it's easy to see why. It surrounded Nancy - who returns as a therapist - with a great cast of teen characters, all of whom are being stalked by Freddy in their dreams. This group of outsiders also have unique dream powers and team up to take on Krueger in the dream world. Dream Warriors is an inventive evolution of the original concept and features some of the most memorable setpieces and dialogue of the franchise.
While some of A Nightmare On Elm Street 3's effects don't hold up well under modern eyes, there's little to truly fault it. It was also satisfying to see Nancy return to fight Freddy once again, and use her past experience to help a new group of teens after failing to save her friends in the past. That makes her shock demise in the finale all the more impactful, though New Nightmare marked her true finale.
1. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Like any franchise, it's hard to beat the impact of the original and the first Nightmare In Elm Street movie is no exception. Craven's horror thriller is jampacked with terrifying sequences and imagery, while the film's grimier, darker Krueger being the creepiest iteration of the slasher. Some iffy special effects and stilted acting betray the movie's low-budget origins, but there's a reason it's a horror classic. Langenkamp's Nancy also makes for a very resourceful and likable hero, who uses her smarts and ingenuity to beat a seemingly unbeatable threat - at least temporarily.