To date, there have been 9 movies featuring the gloved killer Freddy Krueger, the burned menace of many a young person’s nightmares. The first movie in the franchise still has the power to enter our nightmares, unlike the later entries in the series that turned the character of Freddy into a parody of his former self.
The last official Elm Street movie was in 1994 but Freddy came back in 2003 for a spin-off movie in which he faced off against another masked murderer, Jason Vorhees, and he made another comeback in 2010 for the disappointing reboot.
Below we list all of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies in order of release. Which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
US Release Date: November 9, 1984
Domestic Box Office: $25.5 million
Director: Wes Craven
Metascore: 76
Main Cast:
Robert Englund (Freddy), Heather Langenkamp (Nancy), Johnny Depp (Glen), John Saxon (Lt. Thompson)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.
Fun Freddy Fact:
Heather Langenkamp’s boyfriend at the time was credited for creating the chilling ‘One, two, Freddy’s coming for you…’ rhyme.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
US Release Date: November 1, 1985
Domestic Box Office: $30 million
Director: Jack Sholder
Metascore: 43
Main Cast:
Robert Englund (Freddy), Mark Patton (Jesse), Lisa Webber (Kim), Clu Gulager (Mr. Walsh)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger, who is out to possess him in order to continue his reign of terror in the real world.
Fun Freddy Fact:
The bus driver in the opening segment is Robert Englund without his Freddy makeup.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
US Release Date: February 27, 1987
Domestic Box Office: $44.8 million
Director: Chuck Russell
Metascore: 49
Main Cast:
Robert Englund (Freddy), Heather Langenkamp (Nancy), Patricia Arquette (Kristen), Craig Wasson (Neil)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A psychiatrist familiar with knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.
Fun Freddy Fact:
Freddy’s glove was stolen from the set of the film. It was later spotted on the wall of the shed in Evil Dead II.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
US Release Date: August 19, 1988
Domestic Box Office: $49.4 million
Director: Renny Harlin
Metascore: 56
Main Cast:
Robert Englund (Freddy), Rodney Eastman (Joey), Brooke Bundy (Elaine), Lisa Wilcox (Alice)
Synopsis from IMDB):
Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.
Fun Freddy Fact:
The name of the diner where Alice works is ‘Crave Inn.’ This is in reference to the Elm Street franchise creator Wes Craven.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
US Release Date: August 11, 1989
Domestic Box Office: $22.1 million
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Metascore: 54
Main Cast:
Robert Englund (Freddy), Lisa Wilcox (Alice), Kelly Jo Minter (Yvonne), Danny Hassel (Dan)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
The pregnant Alice finds Freddy Krueger striking through the sleeping mind of her unborn child, hoping to be reborn into the real world.
Fun Freddy Fact:
The filmmakers painted tarantulas red and green for one of the movie’s scenes. These spiders later got loose and were apparently never found again.
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
US Release Date: September 13, 1991
Domestic Box Office: $34.9 million
Director: Rachel Talalay
Metascore: 39
Main Cast:
Robert Englund (Freddy), Lisa Zane (Maggie), Breckin Meyer (Spencer), Yaphett Koto (Doc)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Dream-haunting Freddy Krueger returns once again to prowl the nightmares of Springwood’s last surviving teenager, and of a woman whose personal connection to Krueger may mean his doom.
Fun Freddy Fact:
This was New Cinema’s first film in 3D.
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
US Release Date: October 14, 1994
Domestic Box Office: $18 million
Director: Wes Craven
Metascore: 64
Main Cast:
Robert Englund (Freddy), Heather Langenkamp (Nancy), Miko Hughes (Dylan), David Newsom (Chase)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A demonic force has chosen Freddy Krueger as its portal to the real world. Can Heather Langenkamp play the part of Nancy one last time and trap the evil trying to enter our world?
Fun Freddy Fact:
Cast member Miko Hughes made an early film appearance as killer baby, Gage Creed, in 1989’s Pet Sematary.
Freddy vs Jason
US Release Date: August 15, 2003
Domestic Box Office: $82.6 million
Director: Ronny Yu
Metascore: 37
Main Cast:
Ken Kirzinger (Jason), Robert Englund (Freddy), Kelly Rowland (Kia), Jason Ritter (Will)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees return to terrorize the teenagers of Elm Street. Only this time, they’re out to get each other, too.
Fun Freddy Fact:
According to Robert Englund, the Freddy makeup was so thick it almost bonded to his face because of how hot it was during filming.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
US Release Date: April 30, 2010
Domestic Box Office: $63 million
Director: Samuel Bayer
Metascore: 35
Main Cast:
Jackie Earle Haley (Freddy), Rooney Mara (Nancy), Kyle Gallner (Quentin), Thomas Dekker (Jesse)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
The spectre of a disfigured man haunts the children of the parents who murdered him, stalking and killing them in their dreams.
Fun Freddy Fact:
Freddy’s striped sweater was knitted by the same woman who knitted the original sweater seen in the first film.
Let us know your favourite Elm Street movie in the comments below!