Classic

Rating: Null/10 (30 October 2008)

Nightmare on Elm Street, A (1984)
*** (out of 4)
Craven's now classic thriller about four teens battling a burned maniac (Robert Englund) who stalks them through their dreams. I've never been a fanatic over this series but I don't think there's any denying that this first entry is a very strong staple of the genre. Craven's tight direction really makes this film but there are also some very good performances thrown in to make it even stronger. Heather Langenkamp has a certain mature nature that really comes through that makes her character very believable. The young Johnny Depp is also enjoyable to watch, although you certainly can't watch this and predict what would eventually become of him. John Saxon is the one who doesn't get enough credit for his performance as is Ronee Blakley. Then, of course, there's Englund with his terrific performance as the now legendary Freddy Krueger. In the end I think most of the film's credit has to go to Craven who really builds up an incredible atmosphere, which stalks this film from start to finish. The opening sequence in the boiler room doesn't show too much but at the same time it perfectly sets up the mood of what's to come. The dream sequences are also very well handled and a lot of them come off very disturbing. People can debate on what the studio would do to the character of Freddy over all the sequels but he had a purpose in this first film and it wasn't to make people laugh or telling funny one-liners.