A Nightmare on Elm Street

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A Nightmare on Elm Street

R

Released Nov 9, 1984

1h 31m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late?

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Critics Consensus

Wes Craven's intelligent premise, combined with the horrifying visual appearance of Freddy Krueger, still causes nightmares to this day.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Wes Craven’s imperfect but entertaining horror that still has considerable black-comic energy.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 23, 2024

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

Great build-up, the suspense and apprehension, getting you invested in a sequence...this movie has that.

Rated: A

Nov 2, 2018

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Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

The script is consistently witty, the camera work (by cinematographer Jacques Haitkin) crisp and expressive.

Jan 2, 2018

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Both effective and inventive, A Nightmare on Elm Street feels like a milestone in American screen horror.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 28, 2025

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Most of the scenes and special effects hold up even today. Some effects, admittedly fall flat, and a few enter the realm of so bad their good. Regardless, it still deserves its place as one of the genre’s tentpole films...

Rated: 10/10

Sep 18, 2025

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Wes Craven's experiments in blending genres didn't always pay off, but A Nightmare on Elm Street stands the test of time for a reason.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 11, 2025

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LEIGH

One of the classic horror movies of all-time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/05/25

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Alex H

My all time favorite horror flick!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/02/25

Full Review

KBG

Good movie. Some comedic relief moments

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/02/25

Full Review

Dario B

AN ABSOLUTE HORROR CLASSIC — THIS FILM PROVIDES A VERY CLEVER TWIST ON THE SLASHER GENRE WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A KILLER WHO EXISTS ONLY IN HIS VICTIM’S DREAMS — THE ENTIRE FILM HAS A SURREAL QUALITY WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DISCERN DREAMSCAPE FROM REALITY — AND THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE THE POINT — THE HORROR SEQUENCES REMAIN AS UNNERVING AND CREEPY TODAY AS WHEN THIS FILM WAS RELEASED — AND THE HAUNTING CHILDREN’S RHYME THAT WINDS ITS WAY THROUGH THE FILM HAS BECOME AS MUCH A PART OF HORROR CULTURE AS FREDDY’S ICONIC GLOVE — A MUST-SEE FOR ANY TRUE HORROR FAN

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/02/25

Full Review

matt

I wanted to see the movie on the big screen like my dad did back in his day. It was a fun time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/30/25

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Ed H

The movie itself would be a B movie in today's world. But a full theater and the memories from 40 years ago made for a fun night

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/10/24

Full Review

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Wes Craven

Director

John Saxon

Lt. Thompson

Ronee Blakley

Marge Thompson

Heather Langenkamp

Nancy Thompson

Amanda Wyss

Tina Grey

Johnny Depp

Glen Lantz

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

44%

33%

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

68%

68%

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

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Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

23%

32%

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

32%

31%

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

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Wes Craven's New Nightmare

77%

67%

Wes Craven's New Nightmare

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A Nightmare on Elm Street: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late?

Director: Wes Craven
Producer: Robert Shaye
Screenwriter: Wes Craven
Distributor: Media Home Entertainment, New Line Cinema, New Line Home Video [us], Image Entertainment Inc., Anchor Bay Entertainment
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 9, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.3M
Runtime: 1h 31m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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