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A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

R

Released Aug 19, 1988

1h 33m

Horror

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Popcornmeter

56%

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32 Reviews

43%

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100,000+ Ratings

Grotesque Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) gives some more suburban teenagers something to dream about.

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Critics Consensus

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master marks a relative high point in this franchise's bumpy creative journey, although the original remains far superior.

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

"A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" is by far the best of the series, a superior horror picture that balances wit and gore with imagination and intelligence.

Oct 5, 2018

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Karen Krizanovich

Empire Magazine

Surprisingly watchable for the third sequel and despite its general predictability it's entertainingly inventive.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 5, 2010

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Consistently watchable and inventive.

Apr 5, 2010

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

Marlin puts a fresh spin on the recurring nightmare cliché and there's a marvellous scene where Wilcox is flung into the on-screen action from a cinema balcony.

Rated: 3/5

May 23, 2025

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Director Renny Harlin can only do so much with a frequently silly story that finds Freddy brought back from the dead by, uh, fiery dog piss.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 20, 2024

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

The most visually imaginative entry in a series that enjoyed quite a bit of surreal creative leeway from the start...

Dec 8, 2023

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Jean R

Its pretty good not that fun though if I remember correctly I like all the kills in this movie definitely that bug one super gross i love it

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

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Nick O

With whoever’s left of The Dream Warriors dropping off like flies in The Dream Master, we finally get the fully formed, wisecracking MTV Freddy Krueger that was such an important part of our childhood.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/23/25

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Gordo L

Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

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Jasper J

Even if it is not a masterpiece, it is a very fun slasher that keeps the series fun to watch, with great kills and scenes. If you want a slasher that keeps you interested, this is it

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/10/25

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Sondra J S

The Dream Master Wasn’t Good Enough Then Dream Warriors but it was Rush in a Year I don’t think it’s Good but Ok 6/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Alexander S

The Dream Master picks up where the third Freddy film left off, continuing the entertaining aspect that likely pleases fans of the character focusing on a new victim after where the previous film left off. This shift in focus marks a turning point in the franchise, as it begins to slightly lose its touch with horror. Grading: C

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/25

Full Review

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Renny Harlin

Director

Robert Englund

Freddy Krueger

Lisa Wilcox

Alice Johnson

Rodney Eastman

Joey Crusel

Danny Hassel

Dan Jordan

Andras Jones

Rick Johnson

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Synopsis

Grotesque Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) gives some more suburban teenagers something to dream about.

Director: Renny Harlin
Producer: Robert Shaye, Rachel Talalay
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): Aug 19, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $49.3M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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