Diagonaldi Very well executed

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

MaximumMadness Since creating the renowned and beloved horror franchise "A Nightmare on Elm Street" back in 1984, series creator Wes Craven for the most part took an active step back from the series, feeling he said all he could say. Sure, he had some early story suggestions and did a bit of writing on the actually quite-good third installment "Dream Warriors", but other than that... the franchise grew beyond his original concept, and covered a whole gamut of tonalities and story-lines to which he had no involvement. And after the series finally concluded in the early 90's with the woefully misjudged self-parody "Freddy's Dead", it seemed like we had seen the last of the dream- master Freddy Krueger.But we all know that you can't keep a good slasher down. And Craven was finally able to convince the heads of New Line Cinema to go through with an old idea he'd had for quite some time... a story he had actually pitched seven years prior as an early concept for "Dream Warriors." What if Freddy... the character... the man from the movies... was able to escape the confines of the silver-screen and pick off victims in the "real world"? It's a bold idea. And yet, one that could backfire very easily, and needed great care and thought to work. But as silly as it potentially sounds, I think Craven not only pulled it off... I think "New Nightmare" may very well be his masterpiece.The seemingly idyllic life of actress Heather Langenkamp (portraying herself) has taken a dark turn. Despite an adoring family including husband Chase (David Newsom) and young son Dylan (Miko Hughes), she's being thrown into emotional turmoil by recurring nightmares and the appearance of an unhinged stalker whom obsessively tries to contact her with threats of violence. But things might be looking up, as she is informed that director Wes Craven has began work on a seventh installment in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise, and wants her to return as the star. However, when a personal tragedy rocks her world, she begins to see clues around her that point to an impossible scenario... seeing the tell-tale signs of her former cinematic nemesis Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund)... But how could this be? He's just a movie character! He's not a real person... is he?The great success of "New Nightmare" largely falls onto writer/director Craven's rampant creativity and the gung-ho dedication of his cast. The story finds a shockingly perfect balance in terms of tone and style that allows such a peculiar concept to work beautifully. It's self- aware without becoming farcical. It's deadly serious though it keeps a flowing and entertaining sense of pace. And it manages to deliver some of the most compelling characters of the entire franchise that are based on real people without coming across as silly and contrived. It's a fine balancing act that Craven pulls off with ease. And his visual direction is just magnificent, with the scope of the film feeling massive and earth-shattering, yet still grounded in genuine emotion and character. Here he shows some of the slickest and most wild work of his career, with flowing movement and a great visual contrast between the "real" and "dream" and "movie" worlds that helps usher the audience through the story without confusion. It's a visual powerhouse if ever I've seen one.The cast is just great, and you really get the feeling that everyone is putting their all into the film. Langenkamp is fantastic as our lead, and it's quite interesting to see how she grew as a performer in the ten years that have passed since the original film. Hughes, whom got his start in the Stephen King adaptation "Pet Semetary", is great fun, even if his performance can be shaky at times. And of course, Englund is just outstanding as the man of our dreams. Englund's role as Krueger is a bit different than previous incarnations, but he's clearly having the time of his life with the performance, and I do admire that he and Craven are actively trying to bring him back to his roots... he's a darker, edgier Freddy, and works wonders in establishing and bringing threat to the film.It's really fascinating. In many ways, "New Nightmare" shares parallels to one of Craven's other notable works- the brilliant film "Scream", which followed only two short years after. Both are sort- of deconstructions of the horror genre, yet they approach the material from different perspectives. "Scream" being more a meta- parody with elements of genuine terror... And "New Nightmare" being more an earnest horror film with elements of meta-satire. They compliment and contrast with each other quite well, and I do think the one-two punch of "New Nightmare" and "Scream" signify Craven at the top of his game. While some might argue that "Scream" was his best film, however, I do think that the edge definitely goes to "New Nightmare"- it's a more impactful and a much more personal film, and I very much think it's crowning achievement of Craven's career.Though many condemn "New Nightmare" for failing to adhere to the canon and continuity of the "Nightmare" franchise as a whole, I have to commend it for trying something so radically different. I'll take an ambitious and unique effort over a stale retread any day of the week. And the fact that it might be Craven's best film is just the icing on the cake. I have no other choice- Wes Craven's "New Nightmare" easily earns a perfect 10 out of 10! It's one of the most criminally misunderstood and underrated films of the 90's, and an absolute success in virtually every capacity! Tense, thrilling and terrifying in all the best ways, this is one nightmare you won't want to end...

Iwona2403 I honestly can't believe people are giving it so many good reviews... Like are you guys kidding?? I am one of the biggest Freddy Krueger fans! I love him since I was a a child... I was sneaking and watching this movie, we had it on tape!! This is one of the worst Nightmares on Elm Street movie sequels if not the worst. Where to start... There is nothing scary at all! It's just so stupid, even the acting looks cheap.But honestly the worst thing of all is Freddys mask. Like COME ON, he looks like a cartoon!! So so so not scary and so not real! The original idea is so amazing it has potential to go so deep and so far! I wish they just used it better. I always hated the "funny " part of those movies.. This should be SCARY and scary only! You've created one of the scariest characters ever, keep it that way. Third movie is still the most serious, most mature, the SCARIEST!! Every other movie has it's good and bad sides, such as Freddys hand stretching.. I hated it. Looks CHEAP and so not scary!! I'm really looking forward to see remake.. The only thing I'm worried about is another actor as Freddy... Robert was simply so amazing, and he looks scary without the mask. His shoes will be very hard to fill.

jordansepticeye This movie is nearly perfect,I'll talk about the cons first,there isn't enough Freddy,and the cinematography makes it feel like a Lifetime movie.The good,the tone,it is dark and sinister and Freddy is actually scary.The characters,I cared about them,and the acting was great,the child actor did pretty good.The messages about children and horror movies were cool.The homages to the original were great.I loved the meta parts of the movie,they did a great job commenting on horror movie franchise,everything that was said was true.The kills were awesome,even though there was less than 5.The best part though,the concept,it is brilliant and terrifically executed.New Nightmare is the best sequel in the franchise.

samgiannn I've heard this called the best Nightmare on Elm Street sequel and some have even called it better than the original Nightmare film. I can't say it's any of those things, but New Nightmare is one of the better movie in one of my favorite horror movie franchises and a refreshing entry after the abysmal Freddy's Dead. New Nightmare departs from Springwood, Ohio and instead takes place in the "real" world. Heather Langenkamp, the actress who played Nancy in the original film, is now a married mother, and she is contacted by Wes Craven to be in the definitive final Nightmare on Elm Street film. However, Heather has been having increasingly terrifying nightmares and phone calls that sound suspiciously like the films' iconic villain, Freddy Krueger. Her son's disturbing behavior also leads her to believe that the script that Wes is writing may not be just another movie. Arguably the best part about New Nightmare is all the nods and winks to the original film sprinkled in there. The phone gag from the first one is in there (which I admit still scared the crap out of me), and a majority of the deaths are reminiscent of other deaths in the series, particularly Tina's infamous death from the first movie and the motorcycle kill from The Dream Child. Wes Craven and Robert Englund also make cameo appearances in the film, although their subplots just sort of fizzle out towards the end. I also wasn't a big fan of Freddy trying to get a hold of Heather's son. The "creepy kid" scenes didn't really unsettle me and instead came off as hammy. But Wes obviously had a lot of fun with New Nightmare and ended the series with a clever take on the slasher film that would be replicated in the future with flops like Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. Personally, the criminally underrated The Dream Master will always be my favorite Nightmare sequel, but New Nightmare is a fun and sporadically scary slasher flick.