Teenager Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends start having dreams of badly burned killer called Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) who wears bladed gloves. When their dreams start to cross over into reality, Nancy concocts a plan to put an end to Freddy’s reign of terror and uncovers a deep dark secret in the process. As Nancy and her friends fight for their lives, Freddy steps up his torment and no one is safe.
Originally released in 1984, ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ is the film that put the late film-maker Wes Craven on the map. Remembered for his undeniable impact on the horror genre, Craven introduced Freddy Krueger to audiences and started one of the most popular horror franchises of all-time. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ is so effective because plays on the fears of the viewer; who hasn’t fallen asleep only to be woken up by a horrible nightmare? Of course, the film takes it to a whole new level with Freddy appeal to kill his victims if they don’t manage to wake up in time.
At a slick 91-minutes in length, ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ doesn’t waste any time getting into the swing of things and it’s a tense ride from start to finish. While Nancy and her friends try to outsmart Freddy, first by staying awake and then by guarding one another as they sleep, the inevitable confrontation with Freddy becomes a nail-biting wait. Film buffs will likely be aware that the film was also the debut film appearance of Johnny Depp, who went on to become one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the draw for this new release is the 4K restoration. I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes when the film started. The picture is so clean and sharp, a million miles away from the DVD version I’ve worn out over the years. The colours pop from the screen and the detail in the darker scenes is spectacular. Sometimes older horror films are ruined by 4K as it highlights the dated special effects in an unflattering way, but ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ looks fantastic. The sound is worth a mention too, with the Dolby Atmos mix really bringing it to life in a way it’s never been heard before.
The special features on the 4K release are plentiful. There are two audio commentaries to choose from, alternate endings, three featurettes that explore the making of the film and a feature that lets you see alternate takes and learn filmmaking secrets, while watching the film. The 4K release also includes the Uncut Version of the film, but honestly that’s a bit of a gimmick and only includes a few extra seconds of footage that most viewers wouldn’t even notice.
‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ is a horror classic and fans of the film would be silly not to snap up this new 4K version. The film has never looked and sounded better than it does with this crystal-clear restoration. If you’ve never seen it before, now’s the perfect time and you’ll be impressed by just how fantastic it looks. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ has stood the test of time and it never gets old watching Robert Englund wreaking havoc as Freddy Krueger. This release is a must-have for horror fans!
Cast: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Johnny Depp Director: Wes Craven Writer: Wes Craven Certificate: 18 Duration: 91 mins Released by: Warner Bros Release date: 14th October 2024 Buy ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ now
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