• Director: Wes Craven
• With: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Wes Craven, Robert Shaye, Miko Hughes, Lin shaye, John Saxon, David Newsom
• Duration: 1h52
• Music by: J. Peter Robinson
• Rating: 6,5/10

Synopsis:

It’s nearing the 10th Anniversary of the film ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and one of the stars, Heather Langenkamp is being scared by a voice on a phone, sounding very similar to the film’s villain, Freddy Krueger. When Heather’s husband is killed in a car accident and is discovered with slash marks on him, Heather starts to wonder something. Especially when she discovers that Wes Craven is writing another ‘Nightmare’ film. Soon, she realizes that Freddy has now entered the real world, and the only way to defeat him is to become Nancy Thompson once again.

Review:

The final Nightmare (for real, this time) with a different Freddy (still played by Englund) and with a few familiar faces such as Wes Craven (back as director but also in an acting role), Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon (playing themselves)…

This is a very weird movie, to be honest… very meta as well…

With actors playing themselves but being drawn into the horror of Freddy Krueger, who comes alive and is hunting for Nancy (played by Langenkamp in the first and third movie).

Thus was Craven’s way to comment the many, in his opinion, inferior sequels that never did justice to the character of Krueger. The storyline was actually written for the third movie but was rejected then. But Craven did get his movie anyway!

The movie has its moments but it feels rushed and Freddy penetrating into ‘our world’ just feels forced. It also lacks the wit of Freddy’s oneliners.

Freddy looks a bit more menacing but in times the make up looks ‘plasticy’ so there’s that as well…

So for me, classic Freddy is best (especially Freddy from the first movie).

Englund will return one more time in Freddy vs Jason and then there’s still a reboot (with Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy)!