Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings! In honor of Spooky Season, I have decided to share my personal ranking of the complete A Nightmare on Elm Street series of horror films. For those of you who do not know, I am a big horror film fan and have been since I was eleven years old. Out of the big three slasher franchises, A Nightmare on Elm Street has long been my favorite, as it has the supernatural flare I adore, plus I think a killer that haunts your dreams is inherently scary! I also want to note that this ranking is only of the films, not the tangential spin-off Freddy’s Nightmares television series. Without further ado, here’s my ranking.
Number 9: A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 remake)
~Of course, to have a complete ranking I had to include this atrocity! I hate this film, and honestly only watched it because I had an ex who told me it was pretty good and convinced me to watch it against my better judgment. I was none too keen on watching anyone other than Robert Englund play Freddy, and I did not like the performance here. What is worse is making Freddy an abuser and pedophile instead of a child murderer, as that makes him even worse than a child murderer in many ways! I also did not like that the film was essentially just a rehash of the original adding nothing interesting to the mythos. Rooney Mara has been pretty open with the fact that she did not like making this film, and it shows in a thoroughly unlikable portrayal of Nancy! To be frank, I find this film pretty unwatchable, even after giving it a second chance, hoping it would not be so bad a second time around, but honestly, it’s worse the second time around. It is honestly a skippable film unless you want to complete the whole series, but you have been warned!
Number 8: Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
~Out of the Robert England performances, this one is the most out there. It is a very over-the-top comedy performance of Freddy, and this film is more a comedy than a horror film, to be honest. There is the inclusion of Freddy’s daughter and a strange last ten minutes in 3D, as this was during the early 3D craze. There is also the added lore of the three Dream Demons which gave Freddy his powers, finally answering that question, but many fans will state that this was a question that did not need answering! However, this one is not totally unwatchable, and some even enjoy this film. While it is not my cup of tea, I will likely watch this one again eventually, unlike the remake!
Number 7: A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
~The fifth film is a strange one, while I like Alice as a character and find the concept of Freddy reaching out through the dreams of an unborn baby, the execution here is still on the very silly side. It is a fun watch if you are in the mood for lighthearted and more comedy-centric horror, but it is definitely one of the weakest films of the franchise!
Number 6: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
~The fourth film is a little better than the fifth, with more horror elements. It is known as the Freddy for the MTV generation, as it is very colorful and very very 80s in tone, while the earlier films in the series feel more or less timeless. It is famously known that this film began production with no script in place, so the result is pretty impressive given that it was so rushed. I am not a fan of having the third film’s returning Dream Warriors killed off so quickly, as their dynamic is one of the best parts of the third film. It is also a disservice that Patricia Arquette did not return to reprise her role as Kristen. But the new actress was relatively good, up until she was unceremoniously killed off so that Alice gained her Dream Powers. Overall, this one is a fun 80s romp, if that is what you are in the mood for, just ignore the karate kill and you are golden!
Number 5: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
~This is the Nightmare film that has gone through the biggest reevaluation. It has long been thought of as the one with tons of homosexual subtext, and I do enjoy that element of this film. I can totally get why many fans who had struggled with accepting their own sexualities would find solace in this film in particular. I do not have that experience personally, but I love this film for giving that to so many people! We also get one of the darkest and creepiest versions of Freddy, with some strange additions to the lore that are never seen again, like how easy it was for him to possess a human body. Overall, this is definitely one of the better films in the franchise, and I highly recommend it!
Number 4: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
~Okay, so let’s get this part out of the way, this is not technically a Freddy Krueger movie, as the Freddy we see is a demonic entity that has existed since the beginning of time and has just taken the form of Freddy to torture Heather Lagenkamp, the actress who portrayed Nancy in the first and third films. This one is excellent! You can see Wes Craven sharpening his skills in order to create meta-commentary in horror films two years before he would direct Scream. The design of this different Freddy creature is very good, and this one is most definitely a true horror film. It is very fun getting to see Wes Craven, Robert Englund, and John Saxon portray themselves along with Heather Langenkamp playing herself. I would say this is a great one for anyone who loves meta-horror and 90s horror, as it ticks so many of those boxes, even if you are not a fan of this franchise!
Number 3: Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)
~This one may surprise some people by my ranking it so highly. However, I adore this movie! Getting to see two of the big three horror icons of the 80s go toe to toe was always going to be over-the-top fun. It gets major bonus points for having a plausible storyline to bring them together, meshing the franchises well, and having likable characters. I actually ranked Lori from this film as my second favorite Final Girl in my ranking of them because she is a relatable character who is dealing with her own personal traumas and is able to overcome her fear and confront Freddy! I also really love the sweet love story angle between Lori and Will and think the final battle between our titular baddies is such chaotic fun. This film has one of my favorite Freddy portrayals, balancing funny and scary almost as good (if not just as good) as the third film. If you enjoy either franchise, this one is a must-watch in my opinion!
Number 2: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
~I think most fans of A Nightmare on Elm Street could have guessed that this ranking would come down to these two films. I love them almost equally, but the original slightly edges this one to second place. I love the return of Nancy, my favorite Final Girl of all time, and I appreciate seeing her get to be a mentor to a group of new teenagers who are going through the same thing she went through! I love the passing of the torch from Nancy to Kristen as the new Final Girl, although I do hate that Nancy had to die. This is also one of the best Freddy’s, finding a perfect balance between funny and scary! Overall, I would say this is one of the greatest 80s slasher films.
Number 1: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
~Nothing else but the original could have been my number one, but the third film was a close runner-up. The characters in this film are likable and Freddy is arguably at his scariest, as this shadowy figure that is haunting the dreams of a group of teenage friends. The original concept by Wes Craven was not written to be a franchise, but more a strong standalone piece. I love Nancy for her ingenuity in this film, as she was never passively running away, instead plotting to win the battle with the Dream Demon Freddy Krueger! The film feels pretty timeless and the practical effects have aged beautifully. If you only watch one film of this franchise make it the original! The only not great part of this film is that last scene, which the studio made Wes Craven put in so that they could have the possibility of sequels. Yes, the blowup doll death effect on Nancy’s mother’s death was bad! But, in some ways that imperfection makes this film a bit endearing. It is definitely the best in the franchise, in my opinion!
~I hope you have enjoyed this countdown. Are you a horror fan? What is your favorite of the big three horror franchises? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/