An Excellent,Scary,Imaginative,Original and Haunting Horror Classic. Wes Craven's Greatest film.

Rating: 10/10 (13 December 2012)

A Nightmare On Elm Street is simply one of the greatest Horror films ever made,an excellent,scary,frightening and original Horror Classic that is filled with great direction,a wonderful cast,a creepy and memorable score and amazing Special Effects. It's one of my all-time favorite Horror films and is Wes Craven greatest film.
Set in Springwood,Ohio,A Nightmare On Elm Street tells the story about a group of teenagers who live in the same neighborhood of Elm Street who have been having the same nightmares about a burnt and scarred man with finger knifes named Fred Krueger(Robert England). When one of the teens is killed in their sleep,Nancy Thompson(Heather Langenkamp)has to figure out why Fred Krueger is stalking her and her friends in their nightmares and stop him before it's too late or Nancy won't wake up at all.
There are many reasons A Nightmare On Elm Street is a classic and my opinion a landmark Horror film. By 1984 everyone and their Mama was making a Slasher film and the Slasher genre during the period from 1978 to 1984 had hit it's peak,the Friday the 13th series by that time was in it's forth installment,the Halloween series was in limbo and semi-retirement(then brought back four years later)and the genre needed something fresh and exciting and ANOES was the answer. ANOES brilliantly combines the bloody,gory kills of the Slasher genre and mixes it with Fantasy and dreams. One of the reasons ANOES is so frightening and scary is because it blurs the lines of dreams and reality. Wes Craven pulls the viewer into a world where you're not sure if the events in the film are really happening or is it a dream or a nightmare or are the characters in the film going crazy and imagining things. The film is a dark and scary experience where you feel like none of the characters are safe when they're awake or asleep and film's atmosphere adds to the characters since of dread and fear whether it's the darkness and shadows at or even in the beautiful daylight,with images and scenes that are disturbing and creative and will give viewers nightmares themselves. The kills,gore and special effects are scary and brilliant and is impressive for a film made on a low budget of 1 million dollars. The gore and special effects enhance the film and matches the film's nightmarish tone. Unlike most of the Slasher films during the 80s where the characters are not developed and unlikable and waiting to get killed,the characters in ANOES are likable and well-developed and you feel sympathy for them whether it's the teenagers or their parents. The teenagers in the film aren't like the unsuspecting teens in the Friday The 13th films,but sympathetic to the point where you feel sorry for them and what the characters have to deal with whether it's dealing with Fred Krueger or dealing with their parents. Before he was Freddy Krueger,popping off one-liners and becoming a Horror/Cult icon,Freddy Krueger was Fred Krueger in this film,a sick,twisted killer that killed you in your dreams and did it with a dark glee and joy. Unlike the other slasher icons like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers,Freddy had a personality and style and was unique. Instead of just using a machete or knife,Freddy uses his finger knifes and fear in this film,I also love the fact that Freddy doesn't get much screen time in the film always hiding in the darkness and shadows and not saying much dialog. What also makes Freddy a great character is that in the nightmares Freddy can control anything and have all the power to do what he wants to his prey and the victims are powerless and can't stop Freddy. While I love the Freddy character in the sequels,the version and character in this one is the scariest and most frightening. This film and the Freddy character in this film do for sleeping what Jaws did for swimming in the water and what Psycho did for taking showers and one of the reasons ANOES is such a timeless classic. The ending of the film like the rest of the movie is scary and ambiguous because you are not going to be sure if the ending is real or a dream. The ending is one of the things that adds to the film's greatness and will stay with you after you watch the movie.
The whole cast is great in their roles. Heather Langenkamp does a great job as Nancy,the hero of the film,bringing depth,sympathy and a likable presence to the role. Robert England is simply amazing as Fred Krueger,bringing a menacing,scary and frightening believability to the role. England's performance in this film and the sequels made Freddy one of greatest movie villains of all time. John Saxon is wonderful as LT.Donald Thompson,a cop who is Nancy's father,Saxon is calm and collective in his performance. Ronee Blakley is effective and sad as Marge Thompson,Nancy's alcoholic mother. Johnny Depp does a great job as Glen,Nancy's boyfriend. Who would've known Depp would become one of the biggest stars on the planet. Amanda Wyss is wonderful in her small role as Tina,Nancy's best friend. Nick Corri does an outstanding job as Rod,Tina's bad boy boyfriend.
Wes Craven's direction in the film is fantastic,giving the film and sense of fear and dread,moving the camera and giving the film a great pace and the scares are well done. Great job,Craven.
Charles Bernstein's score and NOES theme is dark,frightening and effective and matches the film's scary feel. Creepy score by Bernstein.
The Special Make-up effects by David B. Miller are amazing,gory and realistic and add to the film. Great effects,Miller
In final word,if you love Horror films,Slasher films or Wes Craven,I highly suggest you check out A Nightmare On Elm Street,a landmark and timeless Horror classic that will make you afraid to go to sleep and will stay with you after you watch it. Highly Recommended. 10/10.