A Nightmare on Elm Street

1984
18
1h 31m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

276K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,657

Heather Langenkamp in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.

Play trailer1:30

5 Videos

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Slasher Horror Supernatural Horror Teen Horror Horror

Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in... Read allTeenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

276K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,657

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 wins & 8 nominations total

Videos5

Trailer 1:30

Official Trailer

Trailer 1:50

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Trailer 1:50

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Trailer 1:37

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Clip 1:04

'The Nightmare on Elm Street' | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 1:55

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Photos383

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9:57

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
New Line Cinema was saved from bankruptcy by the success of the film, and was jokingly nicknamed "The House that Freddy Built."

Goofs
At the 1hr 11 min mark, Nancy tells her father "to break the door down in exactly 20 minutes" at 12:30 am, making the current time 12:10 am. In this time, she manages to set various booby traps--a bomb from a light bulb and gunpowder, a raised sledgehammer, a tripwire, and screwing a bolt to a door, and then sits with her mother for some time before going to her own bedroom. All of this was apparently done in only 10 minutes! She's shown in bed at 12:20 am, giving herself 10 minutes to fall asleep and catch Freddy.

Quotes
Children: One, two, Freddy's coming for you. / Three, four, better lock your door. / Five, six, grab your crucifix. / Seven, eight, gonna stay up late. / Nine, ten, never sleep again.

Crazy credits
Film title logo as the end credits are finished.

Alternate versions
The German television version is heavily cut, allowing for an earlier time slot. The cuts are:
When Tina is sliced by Freddy Krueger, we don't see how he slices her chest and is pulled to the ceiling.
In Tina's last dream we don't see when Freddy cuts his own fingers off his hand. Later, there is a scene where Freddy's face is pulled off by Tina. This scene is also missing.
When Nancy meets Freddy for the first time, we can't see when he slices his abdomen and when Nancy puts her arm on the hot pipe.
When Rod's neck is broken by Freddy Krueger, we only see Rod looking at the "snake", before it kills him.
The scene where the dead Tina is talking to Nancy while snakes are coming out her dress is also cut.
Glen's famous dead scene is also cut. We only see how he is sucked in his bed. The bloody, second half is cut.
When Nancy is burning Freddy, we only see the fire reach his feet, then it cuts to Nancy calling her dad.
The scene where Freddy is killing Nancy's mother by burning her is also cut.
These changes were also made in the German video version, which has a "not under 16 years" rating. The uncut version is sometimes shown on Pay-Per-View and is rated "not under 18 years."

Connections
Edited into The Kill Count: A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 Remake) Kill Count (2018)

Soundtracks
Nightmare
Performed by 213
Written and Produced by Martin Kent, Steve Karshner, Michael Schurig

User reviews1K

Featured review

8/10

Changing the face of horror

There have been many periods of film release that have had impact on film history(think "Wizard of Oz","It Happened One Night" and "Gone With the Wind" in 1939 or "Close Encounters" and "Star Wars" in the Summer of 1977,for examples),but one that comes to mind for me was one particular month:November,1984. That's when two somewhat under-budgeted films,James CAmeron's "The Terminator"(which would catapult then-cult figure Arnold Scwarzenegger to super-stardom) and this film,Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street". Both central characters,the eponymous Terminator and "Nightmare" menace Freddy Krueger would become iconic film images for decades to come.

The plot line of the story's no government secret here: a handful of high schoolers in a seemingly ordinary town in Ohio are being haunted in their dreams by a grotesque figure. When this figure starts murdering each one of the group,it's up to Nancy(Heather Langenkamp),the most stable and level of the group,to ferret out and end the terror. Robert Englund,previously known from supporting character roles and his touching,gentle alien in the "V" mini-series and t.v.series,is able to develop a nearly permanent career as the seemingly indominable child-killer. Wes Craven would redefine his own career,as well as the slasher genre,with this film,where he had previously been known for visceral,uncomfortable shockers like "LAst House on the Left" and "The Hills HAve Eyes".

Definitely worth a look,especially for those who consider themselves horror film buffs.