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Film: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Year: 2010
Director: Samuel Bayer
Writers: Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer
Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara and Kyle Gallner
Review:
This is a movie that I enjoyed the first time I saw it. That would have been in the theater. Did I think it was better than the original? Not even close. I still thought this was a solid remake though. I’ve seen it a couple more times since then. I’ve heard the hate and I can understand it. This is one that Jaime watched, not realizing there was an original before meeting me. We decided to give this a go for a bonus episode on Journey with a Cinephile: A Horror Movie Podcast. I’ve decided to give it a rewatch as a Journey through the Aughts watch.
Synopsis: the specter of a disfigured man haunts the children of the parents who murdered him, stalking and killing them in their dreams.
We start this at diner. Dean Russell (Kellan Lutz) is struggling to stay awake. Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara) is a waitress who goes to school with him. She does what she can to help, warning that he keeps falling asleep they’ll kick him out. During one of his dreams, he’s attacked by a burned man with a glove that has knives for fingers. We will learn that this is Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley).
Meeting Dean is Kris Fowles (Katie Cassidy). He tries to warn her about what is happening to him and she’s concerned about how he looks. At another table is Quentin Smith (Kyle Gallner) and Jesse Braun (Thomas Dekker). The former has a crush on Nancy while his friend used to date Kris. He’s not happy that she’s at the other table with this guy. Things take a dark turn when Dean falls asleep and he’s killed by Freddy. He makes it look like Dean killed himself.
All these characters are at the funeral. Nancy is there with her mother, Dr. Gwen Holbrook (Connie Britton). Quentin’s dad is Alan (Clancy Brown) and Kris’ mom is Nora (Lia D. Mortensen). Kris notices a little girl and then sees a picture. This is shocking as the figure she saw was her when she was little. The picture has Dean as a little boy. She didn’t think they met until high school though. Kris questions her mom who avoids answering.
This group of teens also starts to see Freddy in their nightmares. They try to figure out why he is after them. There is a connection, but they aren’t sure what it is. Alan and Gwen act just like Nora in avoiding giving a straight answer. These teens can only stay awake for so long before they become victims of this killer.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is by saying that this movie isn’t nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Are there issues? Yes, but I could also nitpick the original version as well. I don’t think this is great. It still does things well.
I will then start with a positive. I think that Haley is a fine, dark Freddy, though less menacing than Englund when he went that way with the character. While officially establishing him as a child molester makes him difficult to root for and the lack of the sequels' comedy is a drawback, my perspective as a parent helps me understand the creative intent. The built in biases are something that causes issues in my opinion.
Something else that I like while others see it as a negative is the "micro-nap" concept that is introduced. I found it to be a clever addition that explains the characters' waking hallucinations by suggesting the brain mimics sleep when exhausted. Although it feels like a stretch—as people will inevitably crash—I appreciate how it effectively blurs the lines of reality and makes the narrative easier to understand. There are many of my favorite films that will introduce pseudo-science ideas that are specific to that world. How it works makes sense to me.
One last bit is I don’t know who the story wants you to root for. The original didn’t necessarily either. We have Freddy killing these teens. It seems that he is pushing that he was wrongly accused. There is a reveal near the end that started to loathe. What I will say with this most recent watch, it actually just makes it darker. He’s getting revenge, but not necessarily for the reason we think.
The film explores themes of repressed memories and childhood trauma, centered on parents using therapy to conceal past events. Dean’s unraveling reveals the resulting distrust and demonstrates how the sins of the parents are visited upon their children. Additional themes include collective gaslighting, the loss of innocence, and the psychological toll of sleep deprivation.
Then to the acting performances, Haley delivers a dark Freddy who handles the character's signature one-liners well, though his makeup suffers from an over-reliance on CGI. The supporting cast, including Mara and Gallner, provide solid performances despite limited material. Brown, Britton, and Mortensen effectively portray parents whose misguided protective instincts ultimately harm their children. Overall, the acting is appropriate for a supernatural slasher remake.
All that is left would be the filmmaking aspects. I’d say that largely they are effective, particularly the brutal kills and the unsettling dream-to-reality transitions. While the over-reliance on CGI for Freddy’s burn makeup is a drawback, the cinematography is solid and the soundtrack serves the film well. Notably, the sound design—incorporating whispering and the scraping of metal—adds an essential layer of creepiness.
In conclusion, while this 2010 remake fails to surpass the original and suffers from an over-reliance on CGI, it remains far better than its reputation suggests. It introduces intriguing narrative concepts like "micro-naps," boasts effective sound design, and features solid performances that distinguish it as a competent, dark entry in the genre. Though it has its flaws, it stands as a respectable supernatural slasher that doesn’t necessarily live up to the hype of the franchise.
My Rating: 6.5 out of 10