My favourite horror movie. I doubt I'll ever see anything to surpass it.

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2007)

My memories of this film reach back about as far as for any other movie out there. I remember sitting in my grandparents darkened back room when I was about six, no older than seven. I asked my uncle what scary film he was starting to watch, and he told me this title. The very first shot we see is absolutely masterful, it almost has the feel of a counterfeit recording, although I can assure you it wasn't. Freddy and his homemade 'item', then a jumpy credits sequence replete with haunting music. It's the most effective way to open a horror story that I believe I can think of...
Mostly the proceedings are kept tightly organised from thereon in. It's worth mentioning that I've never happened upon any male fans complaining about the plot featuring a teenage girl as the most resourceful character. It's a welcome change, and thankfully due to good scripting it never feels like a mistake or a crass gimmick. The ratio of 'dumb' victims is less than usual, too - you can't really blame them for succumbing to a predator who attacks them within the realm of their subconscious. The back story of the real Kreuger - let alone his spiritual manifestation - is sickening enough to conjure up some serious shivers. If I was nitpicking I'd say that the climax felt a bit rushed, but that hardly mattered considering that everything had been handled so well up until then, and this slight dip is more than compensated for by a terrific last shot, anyway. Finally, how could I fail to adore a fright-fest featuring the reliable and reassuring presence of the legend John Saxon as a concerned father? It ticks all the boxes, I tells ya!
So much thought appears to have gone into the concept, and it's this attention to detail that helps it resonate. Freddy's sweater, for example, red and green because those colours clash horrifically... No wonder this sleeper effort put New Line on the map. It was the studio house that Freddy built, and it kick started my realisation that movies could leave a lasting imprint on the mind. 9-10, never sleep again? Someone should have told that to all of the directors who deputised for Craven, because disappointingly they were found to be asleep at the reins of a franchise that had been given such a roaring start.