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Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Wes Craven's New Nightmare

1994
Drama
Fantasy
1h 52m
Freddy Kreuger, upset that he was killed off in the last "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie, attempts to murder his creators and actors from his previous films. (imdb)
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Wes Craven's New Nightmare

1994
Drama
Fantasy
1h 52m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 42.1% from 1398 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1397)
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Rated 15 Nov 2018
81
90th
An astounding return to glory when you consider how these franchises tend to go, Wes Craven's New Nightmare is exactly that. Wes aged and his fears did too. Now he's got Heather protecting her child instead of herself. If the sequel to It (2017) can do this, it will thrill me. I'm speaking extremely highly of a movie where a tongue chases a boy. Give this a try.
Rated 28 Oct 2017
83
87th
Wes Craven returns to write/direct the seventh film in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series, and delivers an entertaining meta commentary on horror films and Freddy Kreuger's place in pop culture. Remarkably refreshing after the sequelitis plagued previous three films, this "New Nightmare" marked a return to a darker scarier Freddy. Although the film has its slower moments, this is probably the scariest and best acted film since the original, proving that Wes Craven is the key to the series.
Rated 30 Jun 2018
50
21st
Wes Craven’s Pretty Boring. This franchise has gotten pretty stagnant let’s inject it with a bad child actor that’ll spice it up while Wes jerks himself off (HIS EGO NOT THE KID)
Rated 15 Aug 2014
40
9th
So, uh, can I talk about what an incredible gift Heather Langenkamp has in this movie? The ability to ask character actor John Saxon for advice? How are you not using that privilege every day? "Yeah dude, I know you were in Blood Beach and all, but I need your advice on these shower curtains."
Rated 13 Nov 2012
75
53rd
A clever idea for a meta horror movie that manges to do the impossible and make Freddy a legitamate threat again. The movie could stand to have more fun with the premise, and the ending is a bit much, but it's a lot of fun and definetely one of the best of the series.
Rated 27 Aug 2012
30
13th
Uforgivingly dull effort, and the beginning of Wes Craven's meta-crappery. The attempts at actually deliver a story only enhances the straight-to-tv feel. One of the greatest movie monsters of all times is completely wasted, as Heather and her piss annoying kid navigate prank phone calls and suspicious nurses, and when he finally appears, you'll never guess what they did to his face... Okay, you guessed it if your answer was 'Straight-to-tv-make-up'. Wank.
Rated 04 Aug 2015
50
52nd
Pretty decent premise, but like so many movies that go meta it thinks it's being a lot cleverer than it is. Still, after a string of dire sequels it's a vast improvement and probably the best since the first. The ending falls a bit flat as it ventures into the craziness of the previous sequels, which is tonally quite jarring compared to the suspenseful realism of the first 2 acts. And once the redesigned Freddy is revealed in full, the makeup and prosthetics just don't hold up to the originals.
Rated 26 Aug 2012
70
65th
Craven returns to the series he fathered, and this time the keyword is meta (pre-dating his other self-aware genre-riff 'Scream'). It's good to see Langenkamp back - she's adorable - and the often suspenseful film is the only one since 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' where I can almost take (most of) it seriously. It does, however, go characteristically bananas in an overblown finale.
Rated 24 Jun 2015
50
28th
It has been fun watching the Elm Streets just to see how they make Freddy come back, first they made him posses a homosexual, then a dog pissed on his remains, he dreamed himself as a baby, and now he's just there to give actors who need a paycheck work.
Rated 08 Sep 2019
50
55th
an interesting concept. the second best film in the series.
Rated 07 May 2009
80
52nd
Cool rebirth of the Elm Street series and definitely the strongest since the third one. Lots of cool self-referential bits that makes it seem like a big fanservice from Craven, which is pretty cool, but there's enough movie to back that up as well.
Rated 13 Aug 2008
5
3rd
Lying sacks of shit. Final Nightmare my ass.
Rated 02 Nov 2014
65
47th
One of the better Nightmare movies. I'ts clever and meta and very very interesting. The ending is weird and some of Freddy's new stunts can be crazy but I dug his new look and the fact that he can be scary again. I liked it.
Rated 04 May 2009
75
54th
When I first heard that Freddy Krueger's resurrection would be a self-referential outing that would find the razor-fingered fiend frightening such actual New Line Cinema personnel as Langenkamp, Englund, and Craven, I feared the worst -- a campy attempt to wring a few final bucks from the Nightmare on Elm Street concept's corpse. Instead, Craven and crew play their unlikely story line totally straight -- indeed, with an earnestness absent from most of the earlier Freddy sequels.
Rated 26 Nov 2013
75
54th
Way better than everything since 3. It's the first to have any sustained scares. Freddy isn't the wise-cracking doofus killer that he became in the last three movies. There's a freshness to his design. He looks stronger and the makeup is menacing. The general meta-ness and critical scorn it heaps on the lesser entries is fun and it does a really good job of transitioning between reality and nightmares. Some cheese remains, and it's still not amazing, but there's a lot to enjoy.
Rated 05 Dec 2020
35
14th
The best thing I can say about this is that it helped inspire Scream. I did like when Freddy dressed like an old-timey gangster. The previous two are not good, but were a lot more fun than this entry.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
83
76th
There's only two films in this series worth watching...the first one, and this clever twist that Wes Craven puts on it. Having the actors portray themselves and slowly weave the story to where they are now the characters from the original was a creative twist. Freddy seemed a lot less campy, much scarier than in the rest of the sequels.
Rated 31 Oct 2012
80
57th
The Elm Street series was on its last legs. But in 1994, along came New Nightmare, which brought back dignity to the franchise under the original director, Wes Craven. This movie brings forth a great story and some commentary on the state of 80s slasher franchises.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
54th
Strong reboot of the series that brings the horror back into the franchise after Freddy had been made to be more of a comedian than monster.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
94th
Definition of meta-filmmaking right here.
Rated 27 Dec 2016
7
84th
(2016 Freddython #7:) Though cries of "DYLAN!!" and "MOMMY!!" will be ringing in my ears for weeks, overall, yeah, I have to say I really liked this one a lot. This had to be the most meta horror movie ever made back in '94. This is fun and ambitious stuff, and Craven goes above the standard directorial call for slasher flicks, with scenes like the freeway bit and final sequence in hell (?) making things feel pretty big-scale and epic for horror standards. Love Heather Langenkamp.
Rated 16 Feb 2019
85
92nd
It's really amazing how Craven in person claims his character back -- of course there is some remarks about the sequels -- and manages to make a personal film out of it at the same time. A throwback to the dream-obsessed spirit of the first film by understanding filmmaking as myth-making -- films were kind of protecting real lives all this time: there is always a script to follow, even though you can always read it as a spooky story for kids, as Heather does for Dylan in the final shot.
Rated 20 Jan 2011
82
53rd
The true successor to "A Nightmare on Elm Street." While the other sequels had their strengths and weaknesses, this is the film that truly stands tall with the original. It's clever and has a great story. How often will you have Robert Englund and Freddy Krueger in the same movie...as separate parts? Stick with the original, Part 3, and New Nightmare for your Nightmare on Elm Street viewings.
Rated 02 Sep 2009
80
70th
How do you revive a dead horror franchise? META-SEQUEL! The film takes itself a little too seriously, but there are a couple of jaw-dropping moments for Nightmare fans.
Rated 20 May 2009
20
44th
"I thought Wes stopped doing horror movies," observes Langenkamp (as herself); she at least, now a mom, has serious qualms about the genre. The movie gives you more to chew on than all previous Freddy adventures combined. There is a creepy spatial illusion at the bottom of an open grave ("only" a dream) and a hair-raising scene of an eight-year-old boy crossing a busy freeway with his mother in hot pursuit. The finale, though, is unsatisfying, overblown, tedious, and ugly-as-sin.
Rated 25 Feb 2009
60
60th
The best Nightmare film, mainly because it has four years between itself and the 80's.
Rated 18 Jan 2008
75
62nd
Craven returns to the horror scene, and he does it with a certain degree of style. Taking the by now stale Freddy franchise and turning it into an actually original horror story, Craven does his to prove that he still is the master of the master of dreams.
Rated 25 Jul 2010
85
62nd
A great idea this was, after Freddy was killed of and the franchise is over, a real Freddy wants to come through into reality, one of the best of the series too
Rated 29 Oct 2017
50
21st
Very cool concept. Love me some meta movies, and it was nice seeing Robert Englund play both himself and Freddy. It just doesn't take full advantage of its premise. It also seemed like the idea was to make Freddy serious again, yet he's still throwing out one-liners and doing goofy things like elongate his tongue or stretch his arms.
Rated 04 Jun 2009
87
66th
A great horror film that gets back to the basics: Blurring reality an dreams.
Rated 27 Aug 2012
75
77th
A diamond in the rough much like the original, and despite the silly finale and some pretty weak acting the original meta-premise holds up just fine. As a kid, watching the Freddy movies for the first time, this was definitely the most horrifying of the series.
Rated 26 Jul 2010
96
60th
Wes Craven tried to get Freddy back to his old self and it worked like a charm, great setting and great performances by Robert Englund, this is the best one after the first.
Rated 04 Dec 2013
89
62nd
A good meta film that presents its ideas well - it is a mix of parody and pastiche that puts itself closer to what Wes Craven originally intended. The spin on the series itself is markedly seen with the twisty script that is presented that is meant to contain Freddy himself but is used more or less as a weapon that Heather is ironically using. Freddy should have featured more as a character considering we focus too much on the effect on Heather herself.
Rated 28 Oct 2013
60
62nd
Wes Craven's New Nightmare is about the best way one could bring back Freddy Krueger. Having his creator return for another chapter, and bringing Freddy into the real world, featuring actors who previously starred in the series is a genius idea. If it had pushed the premise even further, it would be a great movie. As it is, it's tough to recommend if you haven't stayed with the series for most of its installments. You'll be lost if you haven't. You might be lost even if you have.
Rated 29 Sep 2016
63
26th
I was on board for the first half of this movie, but the second half was just horrifically bad. Cliche, bad CGI, and a plasticky looking Freddie.
Rated 03 Sep 2021
79
58th
More an interesting film than a successful one, occupying a similar netherworld to LAST ACTION HERO in its uneasy compromise between a deconstruction and sincere genre effort; works best in the mid-section when the meta-commentary comes into focus, helped by Craven and Englund's knowing performances (the film teases a "Freddy vs Freddy" showdown that unfortunately never happens). Never quite takes fire as the barnstorming SCREAM would, but still fun and enjoyable despite the schizophrenic tone.
Rated 28 Jul 2020
66
43rd
65.5.
Rated 23 Oct 2019
96
89th
By far the most creative of any of the Nightmare sequels, New Nightmare attempts a killer concept and executes it fairly well (puns intended). Cool to see the original cast back and doing something different with the mythos.
Rated 29 Jun 2011
50
26th
Kind of a novel idea, but meta-Freddy doesn't really cut it. Still a big improvement on the previous 3 films.
Rated 30 Oct 2014
21
13th
Decent premise but it's still pretty poor. Should have just abandoned attempting coherent horror (fuck that kid, seriously) and ran with real life Robert Englund being a goddamn crazy person.
Rated 21 Aug 2015
68
20th
It's kind of creative, but not completely effective, in bringing dream logic into the real world. It's also not a style of horror I enjoy, but it's not bad.
Rated 16 Oct 2016
60
10th
Viewed October 5, 2016. As a piece of meta commentary which simultaneously plumbs the depths of its creator's conscious, New Nightmare is generally great. Regardless, New Nightmare quickly squanders its concept when it becomes clear that Craven is unable to both have his cake and eat it too - what I mean is, it works as commentary, but it doesn't work at all as a horror film. A curious disappointment.
Rated 02 Jul 2007
70
37th
This movie is made entertaining by its humorous and self-spoofing nature. It makes fun of the very people who made it, and the reason for Freddy's real world existence in the film is, though silly, also very cool. Meh!
Rated 01 Jan 2012
65
45th
What's this? Something slightly interesting in this sequel hell series? The best film since the second.
Rated 30 Dec 2020
50
13th
A reasonable attempt for the time, but ultimately eclipsed by far better meta-horror satires in the years that followed.
Rated 04 Jun 2021
30
4th
Mediocre in almost every level.
Rated 15 Oct 2017
68
66th
(Viewed on 01/13): The consensus is that W.C.N.N was essentially a warm up to the playful po-mo games of Scream, but in reality they are completely different films. Craven was reflecting, rather egotistically, on the psychological effects of his creation (Freddy) on the culture (i.e. in symbolic terms) and on the people who brought him to life. It's a crudely made film in some ways, but it's asking some thoughtful questions about spectatorship and the role of storytelling in human life.
Rated 05 Feb 2008
70
24th
An interesting spin on the series, as it brings Freddy to life, and brings back the actors from the early films in a new life. However it still isn't nearly up to par with the original film, however the return of Wes Craven is refreshing.
Rated 17 Nov 2015
65
15th
so corny, but still fun, that actress might be the worst actresses ive ever seen though.
Rated 01 Nov 2014
65
30th
There is some interesting ideas in this one, and the last part of the movie with Freddy is pretty cool, but the movie feels too long, and there is way too much focus on the annoying kid. Its cool to see references to the original movie, and to see people like Robert Englund just as themselves, but overall its just not a very good movie.
Rated 27 Feb 2010
76
88th
man this screenplay is so meta
Rated 26 Oct 2018
85
58th
B+
Rated 28 Sep 2013
65
43rd
* Casting, Acting : 5.5 * Script : 7.5 * Directing, Aura : 7 * Ease of Viewing : 6 * Naked Eye : 6.5
Rated 03 Aug 2013
94
73rd
Freddy is no joke.
Rated 09 Apr 2007
68
56th
The very best in the series. When it isn't scary, the metaphysical plot kind of wears out its welcome though.
Rated 17 Jun 2012
82
51st
The plot twist should have been, and seemed to be building to, Robert Englund cracking and murdering people himself. Would have been far more entertaining and out there.
Rated 30 Mar 2007
60
47th
A post-modern Freddy movie. Whoa. Definitely the best of the bunch, although I still hope you won't waste your time on this one
Rated 04 Mar 2010
66
45th
Clever meta-horror film stars Heather Langenkamp as Heather Langenkamp, the star of A Nightmare on Elm Street, who is haunted by dreams of Freddy Krueger. By establishing a reality removed from the films, Craven ups the ante. The first half of the film is successful and deserving of the accolades that went to Scream. However, it becomes formulaic in the second half, resorting to big & loud scares over the quiet & menacing. Keep an eye out for all the slasher/claw imagery that populates the film.
Rated 08 Nov 2007
44
27th
Somewhat impressive reinvention of the Elm Street series after a string of bad sequels. I did enjoy the "movie within a movie" plot. Sadly it couldn't escape the Elm Street stereotype of a final hand-to-hand combat with Freddy (and this one didn't do it any better than the previous ones). While the New Nightmare was better than other the Elm Street sequels (like that's hard) wasn't all that scary or entertaining to be honest.
Rated 25 Aug 2019
80
55th
Not as clever as it would have you believe, but probably the best of the sequels anyway.
Rated 10 Oct 2013
70
39th
70.000
Rated 07 Nov 2008
65
45th
Strangely interesting tale about a movie-in-a-movie. Treads the same ground as Scream 3, but years earlier and with much more subtlety.
Rated 28 Oct 2021
7
76th
It feels like Wes Craven really went back to the drawing board with this one. New Nightmare feels like it had the free reigns to really revitalize what made the franchise great, and maintain some of the goofier elements of the later sequels. Truthfully, between the meta commentary and redesign of Freddy, this feels like it’s own version of a TV special. It’s not perfect, especially in it’s lack of kills, but I do like what this does to switch up the formula a tad bit.
Rated 18 May 2011
35
0th
Very boring. Howcome the new Freddy Kreuger looked less scary than he did before? Making a movie within the movie? IT'S BEEN DONE. Howcome this is such a popular theme in so many horror movies/series?..
Rated 09 Jun 2014
65
39th
It benefits from a fairly clever script, possibly serving as a warm-up for the far superior Scream. And Freddy's makeup looks better than ever. But it suffers from a confused story, and placing a child MUCH too prominently in the story. Every minute that kid is on screen is just agony.
Rated 18 Jun 2012
35
25th
'Self-reflexive' horror, the final explanation of which isn't actually about Freddy Krueger at all, all appearances to the contrary.
Rated 17 May 2007
85
91st
I love the whole film withoin a film genre that Craven's got going on here. Easily my fave in the series. Toe knee :-)
Rated 03 Aug 2008
46
42nd
perhaps it's time we finally get some rest from this series?
Rated 01 Apr 2012
69
58th
A risky premise but ended up being one of the strongest entries in the franchise, a creepy, funny, elegant meta-film about Hollywood excess and greed.
Rated 28 Jul 2020
30
9th
Poor.
Rated 13 Nov 2018
65
16th
This one has a few interesting ideas but most of them don't go in exciting directions. In some ways the film does not feel like the rest in the series. Overall this film is disappointing.
Rated 03 Nov 2023
24
4th
Absolutely terrible in my opinion, the worst of the entire series. Some nonsense strung together with terrible effects, Freddy's "new" style looks cheap and drags down every scene with him even further. Overall boring, the pacing is terrible and pointless. The others in the series were at least 80s camp and somewhat entertaining, this one is just bad without any bonus!
Rated 23 Feb 2022
74
43rd
What a delightfully meta idea for a movie, and very competently executed by the returning stars of the franchise. The plot does rely a little too much on a child character that's not particularly fun to watch.
Rated 20 Jul 2013
74
40th
This one was actually very good up until the fucking ending, if Wes would've maintained what he had with Freddy through the ending this would of easily been the best Nightmare on Elm Street.
Rated 20 Feb 2010
72
48th
71.750
Rated 21 Sep 2007
1
10th
There is just way too much SHIT going on in this. Craven never gives us a second to process anything, and the film lacks tension as a result.
Rated 27 Jun 2008
75
86th
Nice
Rated 30 Aug 2010
71
60th
Clever and original in a genre known for neither trait, this movie-in-a-movie-about-a-movie is equal parts playful gimmick and inspired terror that will give even the most seasoned Kruegerphile the heebie-jeebies.
Rated 13 Mar 2007
5
2nd
Really lame, not even funny.
Rated 22 Aug 2008
57
5th
Less Shit
Rated 06 Jun 2010
35
10th
Cool idea but the story telling is just too slow and boring. The make up of Freddy looses to old ones hands down.
Rated 26 Apr 2010
60
18th
It would be hard to label this film a sequel, because it really isn't. Instead its Wes Craven taking back a film series that went out of control, and attempting to give Freddy a much worthier Swan Song then the part Six.
Rated 26 Oct 2021
65
39th
Оценка - 66 Общая - 59 Нарратив - 6.5 Сценарий - 8 Постановка - 6 Целостность - 7 Монтаж - 5 Выполнение своей цели - 7.5 Флоу - 4 Жанр - 5 Культовость - 1 Твисты - 5 Личное - 7 Атмосфера - 5.5 Эмоции - 5 Актерская игра - 8 Саундтрек - 5 Синематографи - 4 Визуал - 4.5 Звук - 5 Продакшн дизайн - 5 Костюмы - 5 Гри
Rated 04 Dec 2009
68
47th
That actually wasn't half bad. :)
Rated 09 May 2010
80
46th
It's a cool concept for a Nightmare movie. Still suffers from the always present problem in this series of how to deal with the final freddie confrontation. Watching teenagers punch freddie and knock him over in ridiculously over-the-top fight choreography is far from scary. That being said this is the best I have seen of the series, though it lacks some of the cool gross out moment of 2 and 3.
Rated 06 Apr 2014
58
49th
All the allusions to mental illness, paranoia, and the self-reflective power of storytelling come to nothing; it's just a drawn out horror soap. Yet the sheen of these daytime TV images is unsettling in itself.
Rated 06 Feb 2014
85
67th
One for the fans of Freddy Krueger and the Elm Street series that manages to improve on all the sequels! Lots of Horror fun here :-)
Rated 11 Aug 2014
48
32nd
Smart premise rather badly executed. The few good moments all includes the kid.
Rated 15 Jan 2009
65
26th
Craven gets meta
Rated 13 Feb 2017
56
55th
I'm a bit torn on this: I admire the effort to give the series a dignified ending by toning down the goofy humor that plagued the previous films, making Freddy scary again and giving it a fresh post-modern angle. But it's also lacking the fun of the original film and feels more of a thriller with a ludicrous plot. It shares themes with Craven's Scream films, but they are done way better in the latter ones. So, better than most Elm Street sequels, but not a highlight on Craven's filmography.
Rated 08 Feb 2008
78
50th
Ballsy...Craven tries to do something new and interesting...and it SORTA is. But still not quite a good movie. I give him points for trying, though.
Rated 25 Feb 2022
55
30th
I hate children in horror movies too much to properly enjoy this one.
Rated 12 Feb 2009
0
0th
NOOOOOO

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