A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

R

1985

1h 25m

Horror

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Popcornmeter

44%

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34 Reviews

33%

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250,000+ Ratings

Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) moves with his family into the home of the lone survivor from a series of attacks by dream-stalking monster Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). There, Jesse is bedeviled by nightmares and inexplicably violent impulses. It turns out Freddy needs a host body to carry out his gruesome vendetta against the youth of Springwood, Ohio. While Freddy gains influence, Jesse and his girlfriend, Lisa (Kim Myers), race against the clock trying to figure out what's going on.

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Critics Consensus

An intriguing subtext of repressed sexuality gives Freddy's Revenge some texture, but the Nightmare loses its edge in a sequel that lacks convincing performances or memorable scares.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

The sequel is clunky, sluggish, poorly cast, not funny, and worst of all, not scary. And it all but dispenses with what made the first film scary to begin with.

May 3, 2016

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Possibly the lamest of all the sequels, although Five and Six later set the bar particularly low.

Rated: 1/5

Apr 5, 2010

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Variety Staff

Variety

Episodic treatment is punched up by an imaginative series of special effects.

Mar 26, 2009

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Faced with every temptation to simply duplicate the original’s formula with a different group of teenage victims, Freddy’s Revenge tries something new. The results may be uneven, but I will always defend uneven and inventive over smooth but conservative.

Rated: 6/10

Sep 29, 2025

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

This film has a reputation as a huge disappointment to fans of the original, and has a long history of getting [bad reviews]. I don’t see the drop in quality as being that big... The acting ranges from kind of bad to very good.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 23, 2025

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Even though the allegories for personal demons and hiding your sexuality are fascinating, they aren't explored thoroughly enough to make this sequel worth watching.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 11, 2025

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jonathan

Favorite elm street movie. Was a total shock to see it was going to be back in theaters

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/25

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Oaklee D

It was ok but I prefer the Friday the 13th franchise.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/13/25

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Rafael S

Underrated movie, better Freddy Krueger, amazing makeup, iconic scenes and very good deaths

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/25

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GotRizz237

A Nightmare in Elm Street 2 was great! I really liked it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/21/25

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Munchie A

The second “worst” movie in the franchise. Worth a watch for its creativity and subtlety. The lighting is a standout for me. The homoerotic element is ahead of its time.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/26/25

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Khaliel P

This installment of the franchise is a one-shot, largely disconnected from the others, with Freddy interacting outside of dreams for the first time and Nancy’s fate left ambiguous. Written by David Chaskin and produced by Robert Shaye, it was originally offered to Wes Craven, who refused due to the “ridiculous” possession concept and the diminished horror of Freddy in the real world. Robert Englund was briefly replaced by an unknown actor for budget reasons, only to be rehired after two weeks. Directed by Jack Sholder, the film often feels like a TV movie, with off-screen murders and awkward everyday scenes limiting its scare factor. It is also notable for exploring the main character Jesse’s homosexuality—a rare theme in 1980s horror—through his interactions with a teacher and the protective bond with his friend Ron. While not a bad film, its radical changes make it a “peculiar cousin” in the franchise, different yet intriguing.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/25

Full Review

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Jack Sholder

Director

Mark Patton

Jesse Walsh

Kim Myers

Lisa Webber

Robert Rusler

Ron Grady

Clu Gulager

Ken Walsh

Hope Lange

Cheryl Walsh

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Synopsis

Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) moves with his family into the home of the lone survivor from a series of attacks by dream-stalking monster Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). There, Jesse is bedeviled by nightmares and inexplicably violent impulses. It turns out Freddy needs a host body to carry out his gruesome vendetta against the youth of Springwood, Ohio. While Freddy gains influence, Jesse and his girlfriend, Lisa (Kim Myers), race against the clock trying to figure out what's going on.

Director: Jack Sholder
Producer: Robert Shaye
Screenwriter: Wes Craven
Distributor: New Line Cinema, Image Entertainment Inc., Media Home Entertainment
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.9M
Runtime: 1h 25m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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