A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

R

1988

1h 33m

Horror

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Popcornmeter

56%

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34 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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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

The horror elements have been softened, and the humour increased: while the result is a more mainstream entertainment it does feel like something more potent has been lost in return.

Rated: 6/10

Oct 2, 2025

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

The embrace of inherent absurdity might have worked for the last installment, but it doesn't work here, as it doubles down on anything even remotely horrific in the promising franchise.

Rated: 1/5

Sep 11, 2025

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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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Oliver C.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 delivers flashy dream sequences and fun Freddy moments, but its thin plot and chaotic tone make it a middling 2.5-star sequel.”

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/27/25

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John B.

Nightmare Part 4 apparently feels like a high point for some fans of this franchise. But for me, this is where the series starts to get stale..

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/12/25

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Obi-wan K

Are we deadass 🥀

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/26/25

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Isaac K.

It wasn't terrible but got bored with it

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/26/25

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Jay W.

Hands down the worst of the series!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/17/25

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Rafael S

Pretty fun movie, but Freddy Krueger started getting funnier and less scary, but still a good movie

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/25

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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