Horror films are a strange thing. The whole point is to scare you, to make your heart race, keep you on edge, and leave you too afraid to look behind the sofa. But when a horror film is truly brilliant, you can’t take your eyes off the screen.
You might watch it with your hands half-covering your eyes, but you’re still watching. And that’s exactly what happens with a certain 1984 classic that many fans say they’ll never forget. It’s a low-budget teen slasher with an unusual twist, praised for being as clever as it is terrifying. And it introduced one of the most unforgettable villains in horror history.
The film is A Nightmare on Elm Street, a psychological horror that became an instant hit and is still loved more than 40 years later.
Directed by Wes Craven and starring Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, and Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, it follows a group of teenagers hunted in their dreams by an undead child killer with a bladed glove.
The film was a huge success, earning over $57 million (£42 million) worldwide and launching a franchise that includes sequels, a TV series, and a remake.
In 2021, it was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Freddy Krueger has since become one of the most iconic villains in horror. In a list by ComicBook ranking the ten creepiest movie villains of all time, Freddy came in at number one.
The site said: “Freddy is unlike other slashers because he invades the one place none of us can escape: our sleep.”
They added: “He drags Tina through her bedroom ceiling in a geyser of blood, turns one teen into a human marionette by pulling their veins, and even transforms into a monstrous TV.
“Freddy kills, but he also torments, taunts, and toys with his victims, laughing as he bends reality itself.”
Critics also praised the film at the time, and still do. Writing on Substack, Nathan Rabin said: “1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street is a surreal suburban spookfest with class, intelligence and imagination. It remains a masterpiece of psychological horror.”
Fans also continue to share their memories of it. One person posted on Reddit: “I will always love this movie.
“I remember being in 7th grade, basketball team lock-in. We were in the giant gym, past midnight and all the lights were off.
“In the corner, probably around 12 girls in sleeping bags, circled around one of those old TV/VCR combos schools had in the 80s. It was so scary and we definitely didn’t sleep after it was over.”
Another wrote: “Seriously, I wasn’t at all anticipating such a masterpiece. Definitely my favourite horror film.”
A third added: “I think it’s easily one of the most brilliant horror films ever and has stood the test of time. Completely original concept for a killer.”
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) is available to buy or rent on Prime Video.