For horror and B-film aficionados, A Nightmare on Elm Street remains a cultural cornerstone, and ranks as an influential and much-imitated film of this genre alongside the likes of Evil Dead and Night of the Living Dead. Fred Krueger, who remains a classic film monster, was first introduced in this low-budget film. The teenagers residing in a small American town seems to be having violent nightmares, and before long they seem to be put to bizarre deaths while they are asleep. Nancy, who too is having those nightmares, finds out that the mystery behind these seemingly inexplicable occurrences lies in an event involving, among others, her mother, that took place years back. Thus, what ensures is a game of cat and mouse between the young girl and the grotesque and disfigured man stalking her in her dreams. The film is not very scary per se, but Wes Craven, who gained both fame and notoriety for directing this cult film, infused enough ingenuity and intelligence in the plot as well as his storytelling to keep the viewers both interested and second-guessing as to what will happen next. It also brought considerable fame to Heather Langenkamp who played the spunky young girl who took on Freddy in her nightmares. Interestingly Johnny Depp made his acting debut in this movie.
Director: Wes Craven
Genre: Horror/B-Film/Teen Movie
Language: English
Country: US
