As a young child, nightmares can haunt you for days, taking control of your mind at its most vulnerable state; your thoughts create illusions. The only comfort comes when you wake up and your imagination returns to reality. But for a group of adolescent teenagers, escape doesn't come so easily.
Ever since its original debut back in 1984, A Nightmare on Elm Street has haunted minds unlike any other horror film. Its lead villain, the hideously disfigured Freddy Krueger, has transcended with time, maintaining his relevance with the genre over the last three decades. Remakes are never as good as the original, and this updated re-imagination is no exception. But that didn't stop me from enjoying a haunting adventure down dark and dreary Elm Street.
In the last 29 years, only one person has ever represented Krueger, Robert Englund. But with a fresh new start, director Samuel Bayer opted to go in an entirely different direction, choosing Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley as his Freddy. While the role seemed perfect from the onset, after seeing him develop on the big screen, I am not completely sold. He is demented and horrifically gross looking, but I wasn't all that scared when it came to his physical presence.
In terms of the overall story, I am still a bit confused. An underlying connection bonds all of our nightmare victims together "“ one that takes far too long to uncover. And while it works in the realm of this film, it stops short in terms of a sequel (which we all know is going to happen). At times, I felt like I was watching The Orphan, and for any horror film, that isn't a good sign.
But don't let me discourage you; A Nightmare on Elm Street is not bad. In fact, on many counts, I enjoyed myself. The cinematography was brilliant, especially during the boiler room scenes, and the gray area between reality and nightmares help keep you on your toes. But, at its core, the film isn't insanely scary. It is a mind-boggling thriller, but it is not necessarily horrific or menacing.
The group of seemingly innocent teenagers is exactly as you'd expect them to be "“ hot, slow, and in large part, stereotyped. The athletic jock, his on again/off again girlfriend, the outcast artsy girl, the emo guy; they are all present and accounted for "“ that is, until Freddy begins to pick them off one by one. In hindsight, they really add nothing to the overall film, doing little to separate themselves from the countless others who auditioned for the part. But then again, I didn't go see the movie for any of them, and no one else will either "“ this one was all about Freddy.
Sex, nudity and language all serve a surprisingly minor role, and the gore isn't nearly as bad as I had expected. For multiple reasons, I wonder if the studio was mixed in terms of what rating to pull for: R or PG-13, but that would just be ludicrous. I recommend the movie and urge any horror fan to go and see it. I plan on buying the Blu-Ray when it comes out, but I fear that this series of re-makes will be short lived "“ unless they opt to get down to business and make a movie truly warranting the hype.
