The Meta One
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is not like the other films in this franchise. It’s a meta-narrative, meaning its self-referential and examines its own artificiality and the nature of cinema itself. Beneath the surface, it’s exploring how art, specifically horror movies, affects the creatives involved in bringing these projects to life and the thin line between fantasy and reality.
It’s the kind of film you recommend to specific types of people:
- Hardcore horror fans
- Freddy Krueger fanatics
- Intellectuals
- Film students
- The curious and open-minded
If you head into this one expecting a fast-paced slasher like the original film, you will be thoroughly disappointed. New Nightmare doesn’t drag, but it takes its time. Even then, it’s certainly not a bad movie. Objectively, it’s well-crafted by a legendary screenwriter/director working at the top of his game.
The horror community typically views this movie in a positive light, placing it alongside other underrated gems. I like it too, but there’s no denying one fact: it definitely may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
High Points of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
Originality
New Nightmare scores high for originality. Here’s the premise. There’s a demon that has attached itself to the Elm Street franchise and using Krueger as its host. Now that the franchise has ended, the demon wants to break free and enter the real world. Who does it target? The actors and creative team behind the movies.
Robert Englund, Wes Craven, Bob Shaye, John Saxon, and several other individuals in the film industry portray themselves. At times, it feels like we’re watching the 1994 version of a vlog, spying on actors, writers, and Hollywood executives during their business meetings and private gatherings. In that regard, New Nightmare is decades ahead of its time.
Freddy Krueger
Freddy’s appearance is different. The flesh holes on his cheeks and scalp are larger. His razor glove is gone, replaced by a hand stripped bare of its skin, revealing the bones and tendons beneath. He also wears a black trench coat.
This Krueger is almost a mythical, fairy tale-esque antagonist. He’s darker than he was in the previous three films. He’s still not as serious as he was in the original or Freddy’s Revenge. But he’s definitely not the Looney Tunes bad guy from Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare.
Late Second Act & Third Act
New Nightmare hits its stride near the end of the second act. Heather, the protagonist, has a nightmare where Freddy leaps out of her closet and attacks her. She goes to the hospital to treat the scratch on her arm and see her son, who’s been placed under special care due to his odd behavior and nightmares.
While there, she has another nightmare that causes the hospital staff to question her sanity. Soon after, Krueger appears and kills Dylan’s babysitter right in front of him. Dylan flees the hospital, causing panic among his mom and the nurses. Heather follows him into Freddy’s lair for the final showdown. It’s a hellscape, littered with serpents, fire, and ancient Greek ruins. It’s a magnificent setting.
The Kills of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
New Nightmare has four kills. Pretty much all of them are best classified as standard slasher fare. In one instance, Freddy’s mechanical glove goes haywire and stabs special effects members, Chuck and Terry. It stabs Chuck in the throat and Terry in the chest. Another character, Chase, is slashed across his chest after falling asleep behind the wheel at night.
The last death is Dylan’s babysitter. Freddy stabs her in the back and drags her across the ceiling of a hospital in a fashion similar to Tina Gray’s in the original. Her death doesn’t pack the same punch Tina’s did. It’s a slow death and lacks the same amount of extreme force. Honestly, it comes across as a rehash of a more impactful and better executed scene.
Heather Langenkamp: The Final Girl of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
Heather Langenkamp is back! Rather than playing Nancy Thompson like she did in the original and Dream Warriors, she’s portraying herself. She’s in her early thirties, a mature, Los Angeles professional, and a family woman.
Heather is a sufficient heroine. Her battle with Freddy is primal, mythic. He’s killed her husband and now he has her son. She does everything she can to save Dylan. She throws punches at Krueger, beats him up with a torch, and stabs him with a dagger. Anyone who’s willing to do all of that when facing her circumstances is worthy of praise.
In terms of being a final girl, I don’t rank Heather as highly as I would others. She doesn’t display the same level of self-assurance and ingenuity as Nancy nor the grit and resilience of Sidney Prescott or Julie James. But she still rises to the occasion when it matters most. For that, she’s certainly earned my respect.
