A film that rightfully defined a generation, but also hasn't aged as well in other areas

Rating: 8/10 (11 May 2018)

*Review originally posted via Instagram ("@oratiosanctus") on April 27, 2018*
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Considered by many (myself, included) as Wes Craven's masterpiece, A Nightmare on Elm Street is one that utilises what it is, and still remains to this day, one of the more ingenious and original ideas for a horror movie villain to date. A supernatural killer who stalks teenagers in their dreams, the one place none of us can escape. The concept alone is cinematic gold. Robert Englund - who plays the villainous Freddy Krueger - turns out a marvelous performance, offering just the right amount of restraint and menace to be both disturbing and compelling to watch. His constant presence (even when not on screen or only heard by distinct sounds, such as the unnerving screech of his iconic bladed glove) holds the film. His hostile, predatory nature is always felt, and his capabilities as a modern-day bogeyman brings out that primal and scared inner child within who was afraid of the thing lurking under his bed.
It is, however, a movie not without its flaws. In fact, a few are quite glaring. Aside from Heather Langenkamp, who delivers a strong performance as the heroine Nancy, the other actors are very hit-and-miss; with the parents characters (Nancy's excluded) being largely forgettable. The special effects also have not aged well in most areas. That aside, the imagination and visual style of this picture is one that stays with you long after the credits roll and features a death scene early in the film that remains one of the most chilling and well executed you will find in any horror film. This movie is one that is made by its atmosphere.
For a film made in 1984 on a very modest budget, A Nightmare on Elm Street remains a diamond in the rough for a slasher movement that, at that time, was only starting to gain real traction. The movie's legacy as it stands today speaks for itself.