The Mother of All Horror Films

Rating: 8/10 (28 November 2004)

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" deserves hands-down the title of The Mother of All Horror Films. The reason for the above title does not stem from the film's casting; the actors do perform quite well, but we have definitely seen better. Nor is it for the plot; although the story is quite innovative and scary, it suffers from some major gaps. Is it the special FX then which do the trick? Well, they were certainly impressive for the 80s, but they cannot stand up to the competition in today's digital and hi-tech era. So it must be the direction, right? Well, yes and no: Wes Craven does a fine job, but that alone is not a sufficient condition for the title.
What is it then? What does "A Nightmare on Elm Street" make it so special? The answer is simple: Its cult status. Within a short period from its release, the movie became a legend, with Freddie Krueger (Robert Englund) being a familiar figure to virtually everyone. His knife-laden hands have claimed some good scares from frightened fans, that's for sure!
The amazing success was totally unexpected even for New Line Cinema, the production company, whose people could never imagine that they would come up with, well, The Mother of All Horror Films! They tried to capitalize on their great fortune by producing numerous sequels, yet none had the flair and originality of this film.
I am not a horror movie fan in general, and yet I value this film very highly: It has something truly unique, and despite the 20 years that have passed since its release, its flame is still bright. If you are willing to get a really scary ride, then don't miss it: 8/10.