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A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 Remake)
A reboot of the original story that no one really asked for,
the teens of Springwood are again terrorized by Freddy Krueger, who was once a
gardener at their preschool. In a long line of unnecessary of horror remakes, this saw out the decade,
proving that some legends are better left dead. Drab and dreary, this remake
was uninspired and not necessary, but is part of the Freddy Kruger saga, so I had
to include it.
Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara), along with her friends, pieces
together Freddy’s past and discovers that he was a child molester, returning to
exact vengeance. Furthermore, they discover they were all once children at the
centre he worked at, but they had no memory of what happened.
Freddy (this time played by Jackie Earle Haley, who does a
good job all things considered) is darker and more vengeful, with a sadistic
edge focused on psychological torture. He appears more sinister and bitter.
The dream sequences are darker and more disturbing,
featuring decayed, twisted versions of familiar places, like schools and
basements, with brutally violent kills. One scene that stayed with me for it’s decrepit
nature, is where Freddy has killed one of the characters. Suspending him upside
down in a boiler room, Freddy says something like “Did you know after death,
the brain can function for another seven minutes? We’ve got six more minutes to
play” as he (as we can only imagine) continues to torture and torment the poor
guy.
I’m not a huge fan of this remake, but I will give it credit for incorporating a new idea, with the use of micro-naps into the story; given our characters try to stay awake for days at a time, they are so fatigued, they keep falling asleep for a few seconds at a time, which is just long enough to pull Freddy into their nightmares. It was a cool idea and used to good effect.
In the end, Nancy uses adrenaline to pull Freddy into the
real world, and with her friend’s help, they kill him by slashing his throat
and setting the scene for a possible return. But there was no sequel to this
remake, which is fine with me.
Conclusion
The Nightmare on Elm Street series has left an
indelible mark on the horror genre and popular culture. Its blend of
supernatural horror, psychological tension, and Freddy Krueger's twisted humour
has inspired countless films, television series, novels, and comics. The
franchise's impact can be seen in the rise of horror icons like Scream's
Ghostface and It's Pennywise, characters who, like Freddy, use fear and
imagination to torment their victims. Freddy's ability to invade dreams
introduced a unique threat that went beyond physical limitations, and this idea
of fear invading the most private of spaces has since been explored in horror
films and media worldwide. The franchise also popularized the concept of the
"dreamscape" as a horror setting, a theme that has been revisited by
filmmakers and writers eager to explore the limitless creative possibilities of
dreams and nightmares.
As for Freddy's future, there are numerous directions the
series could take. After a 2010 reboot that received mixed reactions, rumours
have circulated about potential new instalments, with fans hoping for a return
to Freddy's roots or even an entirely fresh take on the character and his
world. Robert Englund, who brought Freddy to life in nearly every iteration,
has hinted that he would be open to passing the role to a new actor, leaving
room for a reimagining of Freddy’s persona. Creatively, the series could
explore the evolution of fear in the digital age—Freddy might invade nightmares
through virtual reality or digital spaces, amplifying the terror for a new
generation. Alternatively, a deeper dive into Freddy's origins or a
psychological horror approach could offer a fresh, haunting twist. Whatever the
future holds, A Nightmare on Elm Street continues to haunt and
captivate, ensuring Freddy Krueger will remain a fixture in horror for years to
come.
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