A classic that still holds up

Rating: 10/10 (27 October 2015)

Wes Craven's original masterpiece A Nightmare On Elm Street is the real deal out of the franchise. While some of the further entries are well done (#3 is a standout), this first one gives us Freddy Krueger at his simplest and most menacing, before the sequels saw him calcified into a one liner wise guy. Here he keeps the talking to a minimum, letting his grotesque presence itself, and otherworldy powers do most of he communication. Robert Englund creates a boogeyman that's perhaps the most distinct, specefic of the slasher bunch, as he's not just a silent, formidable masked dude, but an actual character with personality and better, a sense of humour. Freddy, for those who haven't seen this (shame) was a child killer in life, burned alive by the parents of his victims, and haunting the dreams of their children. Heather Langenkamp is striking as Nancy, the resilient one of the group. Amanda Weiss plays her friend Tina, who is not so fortunate and suffers torment at the hands of Freddy in a feverish, impressive early sequence. Johnny Depp in his first ever film role plays Nancy's boyfriend Glen, a shallow goofball as most dudes in 80's horror movies tend to be. Nancy's sheriff father (John Saxon) is skeptical at best, and the kids find themselves alone and at odds with this ticked off, cackling dream demon. It's special effects heavy as well, as Freddy manipulates his world to terrify them and conjure up all kinds of creepy horrors. Langenkamp has an easy likability, fragile yet unflinching, qualities that often are often lacking from horror protagonists, but is nice to see here and makes her relatable. Englund has a ball his first time around as Freddy, and as per usual with the first film of any horror franchise, less is more. He's used minimally at first, mostly as sound before sight, but when they do see him he shakes their nerves up pretty good. A horror classic, and the second corner of the slasher trifecta I mentioned previously.