A Nightmare on Elm Street
R
1 hour, 37 minutes
Starring: Jackie Earl Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, and Kellan Lutz.
WARNING: This contains spoilers.
The franchise is back to haunt you! MWAH HA HA HA! Just when you thought Freddy was dead, Jackie Earl Haley shows up. The famous film franchise from the 80′s is back for more. Freddy Krueger, the child molester, is back for the revenge of his death and haunts the dreams of the children he once knew and abused. Although, most shake it off as “just a dream,” if Freddy kills you in your sleep you die for real.
Horror movies have to go the extra mile these days. With all of the added technology and the genre becoming more graphic, the question is how to scare on audience? The scares in this film are excellent, as they should be, but to anyone who has already seen the original there is nothing special about it. I don’t expect a lot of horror flicks, so I’ll be gentle with this one.
It is exactly what it’s supposed to be, a reboot. Same story and characters, but with better effects. I do feel that Robert Englund is the only man to play Freddy, Jackie Earl Haley did live up to the character and the perfect successor.
My favorite thing about this movie was the shift in character focus. The very beginning of the film focuses on Kris, until she’s killed in the first 20 minutes. Then it shifts to her ex-boyfriend who watched her die and then he’s killed. They pass the buck several times, which leaves you wondering if they are the new protagonist or the next to be killed. It was a new way to keep you on your toes, which I appreciated.
Also, I think it’s awesome when horror flicks don’t have a neat bow-tie ending and the villain wins. Naturally, this was left wide open for a sequel, which has been green lit. Getting back to the gritty Freddy roots is a good move. With the Saw franchise slowly winding down this may be the project to replace it. Although it is a little cheese-ball, I feel that it adds to the overall charm of the film.
3.5 out of 5
