Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street remains one of the most beloved 80s horror films and introduced audiences to one of the genre’s most iconic killers. The film follows a group of teens who find themselves targeted by the deranged Freddy Krueger, who has the ability to invade their dreams.

Like seemingly all popular horror films, A Nightmare on Elm Street eventually got a remake by Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes. Revisiting such a cherished film is not easy, but there are some aspects the movie got right, as well as some things that were very disappointing for fans.

10 Right: Rooney Mara

Given how her career has evolved into one of widespread acclaim, it’s surprising to see Rooney Mara turning up in this horror remake. Mara takes on the role of Nancy, the young hero of the story who is one of Freddy Krueger’s main targets.

Heather Langenkamp originated the role in the 1984 film, and she did a great job with it. But this darker, more serious take is grounded by a solid performance from Mara. While she would go on to give much better performances, having a skilled actor like her certainly gives the film a boost.

9 Wrong: Freddy’s Look

Though he does not have a mask like some of his iconic horror peers, Freddy Krueger’s look is instantly recognizable. From the striped sweater to the fedora, it is an unusual look that works quite well. But the really memorable aspect of the character is his hideous burnt face.

Freddy’s look for the remake is far less memorable or scary. The filmmakers decided to go with a more realistic depiction of what a burn victim would look like, but who needs realism in a movie about a killer who haunts your dreams? At least they were wise enough to keep the sweater and hat.

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8 Right: The Kills

The remake starts off on the right foot with a memorable opening kill. Dean (Kellan Lutz) is trying to stay awake in a diner but keeps nodding off. Eventually, he finds himself in a dream where Freddy slowly cuts his throat with a knife, however in the real world, it looks like Dean did it too himself.

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The kill is a shocking and memorable kick-off, and most of the kills that follow are well done. Some stick too closely to what was done in the original, but they are some of the most memorable moments in the film.

7 Wrong: Cheap Jump Scares

Wes Craven was a master of building suspense in his films and have audiences scared by the anticipation. Yes, there were some jump scares in the original, but they all felt organic in the sequences.

Like many horror films of its era, the remake seemed to think building tension was the same as throwing in a lazy jump scare. There are so many moments in this movie that get a scare this way that it just feels unearned.

6 Right: The Mystery

There is an interesting element to the first two acts of this film as the young teens try to put the pieces together about who this man is that is stalking them all. This was also explored in the original, but becomes a much more central plot point this time around.

The kids realize they knew each other from a young age despite their parents telling them otherwise. Then they find out their parents formed a vigilante group to kill Freddy, and it is briefly believed that he may have been innocent all along, which was an interesting reveal.

5 Wrong: Freddy’s Disturbing Backstory

Despite some doubts placed around what Freddy actually did, in the end, it is confirmed that he is a very bad man. In fact, the film even goes so far as the turn the vague hint from the first film into a full-blown confirmation that Freddy abused the children when they were young.

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While this was originally Wes Craven’s idea for the first film, he backed away from being explicit about it for good reason. It is very disturbing subject matter to introduce into a silly slasher movie and doesn’t really add anything new.

4 Right: Micro-Sleeps

Once the characters learn that they will be hunted in their sleep, they do everything they can to stay awake. While this aspect of the film could have become quite boring since the audience saw it in the original, the remake does come up with an interesting new approach.

They introduce the idea of micro-sleeping, a real condition that happens when people are awake for extended periods of time. People drop into sleep for seconds at a time, and this adds some extra tension in the final act, as it makes the characters more vulnerable to Freddy’s attacks.

3 Wrong: Bad CGI

CGI came a long way from the 1984 original and the 2010 remake. And while there are some amazing things films can do with modern technology, this remake is proof that sometimes there is no beating the practical effects.

Certain scenes are recreated in the new films, such as the image of Freddy coming out of the wall above Nancy’s bed. But with unconvincing CGI, an iconic moment is rendered laughable. The poor CGI throughout the remake is an issue and serves more as a distraction at times.

2 Right: Jackie Earl Haley

As soon as it was announced the remake would find a new actor to play Freddy Krueger, there was an immediate backlash against it. There is simply no replacing what Robert Englund brought to the role. Even so, Jackie Earl Haley was a pretty great selection for this new take.

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Haley is a very skilled actor and seemed perfectly suited for this darker take on the character, while committing to the part wholeheartedly. Though he doesn’t get much credit, many would admit he was the highlight of the remake.

1 Wrong: No Fun

There seemed to be a trend with the Platinum Dunes remakes of classic horror movies that they needed to be a much darker take on the original. While that worked somewhat for Friday the 13th and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but it doesn’t work for A Nightmare on Elm Street.

By going too grim and serious, the remake missed all the fun of the original. Freddy Kruger is a darkly comedic killer who enjoys toying with his victims. While there is some of that here, it mostly feels like the movie trying to cram in famous lines from the original.

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About The Author


Colin McCormick
(2026 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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