A true classic though the ending is less than it could have been

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 1999)

Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is a truly masterful work. It is uniquely scary: No other horror film makes use of the "dream aesthetic" as this one does. However, it does have three flaws: 1. The acting is uneven in quality. Heather Langenkamp's (Nancy's) performance is excellent as are the performances of most of the teens in the film and Robert Englund. However, the other performances are rather poor (with the possible exception of the actor playing Nancy's father). 2. Wes indulges himself, allowing his film to be diluted with some of the cheapest and most hum-drum devices of horror film. 3. The ending, which was changed from the one originally written by Wes, hurts the theme of the work---it destroys the sense that "it was only a dream" and again makes the work quite stereotypical. Despite these flaws, the aware viewer will notice much that is clever about this film and much that is terrifying in a way that can only be described as primal and archetypal. I give this film a 9.5 out of 10. A true classic. (With the intended ending, I'd have given 10 out of 10.) This film and "New Nightmare" are the only worthwhile ones in the series, however. If you must watch a third, Watch "A Nightmare on Elm Street: 3." Avoid all the others like the plague.