A Nightmare on Elm Street

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A Nightmare on Elm Street

R

Released Apr 30, 2010

1h 36m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

14%

Tomatometer

183 Reviews

43%

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100,000+ Ratings

Teenagers Nancy, Quentin, Kris, Jesse and Dean are all neighborhood friends who begin having the same dream of a horribly disfigured man who wears a tattered sweater and a glove made of knives. The man, Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley), terrorizes them in their dreams, and the only escape is to wake up. But when one of their number dies violently, the friends realize that what happens in the dream world is real, and the only way to stay alive is to stay awake.

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Critics Consensus

Visually faithful but lacking the depth and subversive twists that made the original so memorable, the Nightmare on Elm Street remake lives up to its title in the worst possible way.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

It's cliched, boring, and anticlimactic.

Rated: D+

Sep 11, 2017

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

I did jump a few times, and I liked Haley's dour malevolence, but overall, the new Nightmare on Elm Street is a by-the-numbers bad dream.

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

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Christine Champ

Film.com

Freddy's back -- and he's slicker and more sinister than ever.

Rated: B

May 6, 2011

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Like countless other reboots, this leans into all of the wrong things people liked about this franchise.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 11, 2025

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A Nightmare on Elm Street is just as tedious as the other horror remakes by Platinum Dunes, avoiding any semblance of creative thought or innovative interpretation.

Rated: 1/4

Aug 18, 2023

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Re-imagining a character whose appeal is largely inextricable from his initial era is a suicide mission. Stay too pure to the original & what’s the point? Complications stray from its strengths. It's basically a question of who would fall on the grenade.

Rated: .5/5

Nov 1, 2022

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Munchie A

The worst remake I have ever seen. It is hollow.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/13/25

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Michael P

I thought it was going to be bad, but it is as good as a modern remake gets.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/12/25

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Oscar H.

This was the WORST remake of a classic 80’s horror flick! Casting director needs to QUIT his job for casting Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger. Side note:Has Jackie Haley ever seen a Freddy Krueger movie?! Highly doubt it! Whatever he was trying to accomplish he FAILED miserably! Someone hit it on the head with their review saying “Let’s forget this remake was ever made!” Moving forward, if any writers have an idea for a remake they must watch this project as an example of what NOT TO DO!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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Dustin H

Once again a case where film critics are wrong. This adaptation was great. A burn victim actually looking like a burn victim. Robert earl Haley is the perfect Freddy. And rooney mara was great as well. Overall its the same story over and over again but its a fresh look

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/27/25

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tim s

I don't understand the disdain for this movie. While Robert Englund's original portrayal of Freddy Krueger is timeless, Jackie Earle Haley turns in a suitably creepy performance as the fire-scarred killer. The supporting cast is fine, the kills are genuinely bloody, and everything from Haley's deep, gravelly voice to his physical appearance are quite striking.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/25

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Kitty B

Erase it.. just erase anything & everything of this & let’s pretend this monstrosity never existed

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

Full Review

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Samuel Bayer

Director

Jackie Earle Haley

Freddy Krueger

Rooney Mara

Nancy

Kyle Gallner

Quentin

Katie Cassidy

Kris

Thomas Dekker

Jesse

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Synopsis

Teenagers Nancy, Quentin, Kris, Jesse and Dean are all neighborhood friends who begin having the same dream of a horribly disfigured man who wears a tattered sweater and a glove made of knives. The man, Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley), terrorizes them in their dreams, and the only escape is to wake up. But when one of their number dies violently, the friends realize that what happens in the dream world is real, and the only way to stay alive is to stay awake.

Director: Samuel Bayer
Producer: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller
Screenwriter: Wesley Strick, Eric Heisserer
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Platinum Dunes
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Strong Bloody Horror Violence|Terror)
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 30, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $63.1M
Runtime: 1h 36m

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