Review of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) by Essenceofsugar — 29 Oct 2013

The natural function of sleeping and dreaming happens to be reserved for this chilling rather than outright terrifying classic. Being 1984, I could expect that the sound quality and the special effects were to be cheap and crackly. However, it was less of my concern that this lack of gloss only helped to provide an authentic, unsettling atmosphere. What my main concern was was the mismatch of music when it played during the chase scenes, which only served to sadly detract from what it was trying to achieve.

Freddy Krueger's appearance and personality personifies the imagination and fear of the unknown in which elements of suspense become just as important as its part in the slasher genre. His scarred face, fedora, striped red and green jumper and all too well known gloves with knives serve to bring to life a standout, recognisable performance whereby he represents a villain that borders on dreams and reality with a maybe awkward inability by the film's main protagonists to distinguish the bridge when it comes to survival.

By using a vital part of everyday life, Freddy's actions have just as much effect on reality as they do in the dreamworld. Safety is immediately compromised when we are at our most vulnerable, so it isn't enough to claim that 'this is a dream, it isn't real', of which it brings a whole new meaning to.