When Friday the 13th (2009) was released, I enjoyed it a lot. It paid a lot of respect to the franchise. When I had heard that Nightmare On Elm Street was next to be reimagined, I was ecstatic. I was sold on the film because I wanted to see how they would approach the material.
Then the next set of news came, Jackie Earle Haley was to be Freddy Krueger. I was floored. I had seen him in Watchmen as Rorschach. It was fantastic. Rooney Mara was announced as Nancy. As each new casting was announced, I kept getting more excited for the film. I mean, come on we get Clancy Brown in an Elm Street movie.
I remember following every single bit of news that was released. That's how excited I was for this film. I would read the set visits at least three to four times.
Then I remember sitting in the theater on opening day. The film began and I was pulled in. But something felt off. Something wasn't right..this was Elm Street. But again, something wasn't right.
After some time, I began to think about the film. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. This has been a piece that I've been working on for the last two weeks. And I thought 'Well you are visiting Crystal Lake for Friday the 13th. Why not make a pit stop at Elm Street to make your peace?'.
So here it is. It's going to be brutal. It's going to be honest. It's going to be in depth. It's going to be my thoughts on Nightmare On Elm Street (2010).
Nightmare On Elm Street (2010) should have been a bigger hit. It should have been a better film that it was. It should have been something memorable. It should have been what the original film was to us to a whole new generation. It should have reinvigorated Freddy Krueger, not kill it.
Yet, here we stand. It's been eleven years. We have not seen a sequel. We have not even heard a mention of Fred Krueger - no, a cameo on The Goldbergs doesn't count.
It's not Samuel Bayer's fault. It's not Wesley Strick or Eric Heisserer's fault either. No, the large part of the blame for the 2010's problems lay with the studio. But that's getting ahead of myself here.
Alright, here's the cliff notes for the film:
- Dean (Kellan Lutz) chilling at diner. Hears noise. Inverstigates and jumpscared by Freddy. Wakes up and talks to his ex, Kris (Katie Cassidy). She goes to bathroom. Dean micronapped by Freddy to death.
- Nancy (Rooney Mara) is a waitress at the diner.
- Kris' boyfriend Jesse (Thomas Dekker) is a tool.
- Quentin (Kyle Gallner) is friends with Jesse and eyes for Nancy.
- Following funeral, Kris learns they all knew each other back in preschool.
- Freddy begins nightcreepin on Kris.
- Jesse stops by to comfort Kris.
- Freddy nightcreeps again and recreates the Tina death from '84.
- Jesse runs for it and creeps to Nancy. Tells her what happened then arrested by cops.
- Jesse locked up and is sleepcreeped to death by Freddy.
- Quentin and Nancy talkin.
- Nancy asks Mom (Connie Britton) if they knew each other back in preschool. Mom denies.
- Quentin micronaps Freddy's burning while at swim practice. Confronts his Dad (Clancy Brown) and told to drop it.
- Nancy visited in tub by Freddy and then sees Preschool.
- Quentin and Nancy go on their own, after a hospital trip. Quentin snags adrenaline. Nancy micronapped by Freddy in pharmacy.
- They go to preschool. Find Freddy's creepy spot. Learn how sick Freddy is and what happened to them. They confront Freddy and bring him out of dream. Kill him.
- Nancy and Mom returns home. Nancy sees Freddy in mirror, who then pulls Mom into mirror.
That's basically the movie. All the hot points of it. Sounds like a bland movie to me.
What happened? Studio started questioning the decisions made by the creatives of the film. They started getting cold feet at the feedback from test screenings. They order reshoots and said do it this way.
In the years since the film's release, it's been documented how much was cut from the film and what that was. After I heard the details, it pains me that this is the version we received.
There was an original beginning that focused on a pool party. It's a nice call back to Part 2. It would have seen Kris and Nancy seeing Dean on rooftop talking to himself before leaping off of it. If it was done right, this would have been a hell of a way to open the movie. Much better than the way it opens now.
There was also another beginning. It showed a burnt patient in a hospital. But then we see him flatline. The assumption being that this was supposed to be Freddy. This one never sat with me really. It's a simple beginning, but it doesn't provide any details or worth to the audience. And it's not like we would be able to connect with Freddy because we don't know who it is at first.
There was a different version of Kris' attic scene. Instead of Freddy jumpscaring Kris by lunging at her, it would have been a more slow tense scene. While shes investigating the attic, she shines her light and comes to a set of boxes. Behind the boxes, a figure with a hat stares at her. That's definitely more creepy than what we got.
Another notable scene would have been Freddy confronting Kris in his candlelit lair. It sounds like in the original script that there was a lot of mentions towards a candlelit lair. For me, it would have been an interesting approach. Instead we received the same ol' same ol' boiler room approach in the dreamscape.
Actually that's something that I'm going to talk about right now. What the hell with this film? Why couldn't we get a more unique design for the dreamscape of Freddy? Why did it have to be so bland and cookie cutter? I understand that it's modeled after the preschool. But it just felt like there wasn't enough of a memorable design to it. At least if there'd been a candlelit lair, that could have been cool. It would've been different approach.
During a dream sequence, Nancy would have been tormented by Kris, whose mouth was blood filled and she was sinking in blood. This was one that I didn't feel like we missed anything. It would have still felt like an homage to the original film. But ultimately one that would have been unnecessary.
There was also sequences with Quentin. It would have been as if Quentin would have been called to the candlelit lair with each of his dreams. Ultimately by the end of the film, it would have led Quentin confronting Freddy in a dilapidated church. Honestly, why wasn't this a thing? Oh wait, it's because they wanted to 'remake' the original and that meant we had to have Nancy. Gotta follow that through. Play it safe in a way.
Honestly, looking back at all these different things that were cut. It would have added a lot to the film. It would have given the film a unique approach and visual style. It would've been a bit of a risk. It probably would have had a bit of depth to it. However, it would have to be better than what we got.
Now with what we got, I will say that I do still enjoy it to a degree. I liked that they added some more personality to Nancy's character with her drawings. It definitely added to the character and helped define it for this version. I liked Quentin as a character. It was interesting seeing Freddy's burning through Quentin's POV in the dream sequence. Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy, I enjoyed a little. The concept of micronaps. This was something that I am 100 percent behind. This felt like a breath of fresh air for the lore. It made sense that we would see some negative effect for forcing yourself to stay awake for so long. It added a sense of tension. Plus, I loved the pharmacy scene with Nancy slipping in and out with Freddy pursing her.
Outside of those things, there isn't much to like. The rest of the characters felt very shallow.
Kris and Jesse both were very underutilized. They were shallow and honestly a bit forgettable. The only reason why they are in the film is because they are the same as Tina and Rod. That's it. They serve the same purpose that we have seen before. There's nothing that's unique for them. Nor is there any use of them outside of Nancy.
Quentin's Dad. I love Clancy Brown. I remember hearing when he was initially cast, he was supposed to be playing Nancy's Dad - the Sheriff. That would have been awesome. Yeah, I know it would have had one more connection to Nancy. However, if you gonna have it following Nancy and already doing it - double down on your plans.
There are really not many set pieces either. It's all very bland. There's no personality to it. And ultimately a bit forgettable. The film does rehash the Freddy coming out the wall (bad CGI), Tina death, Nancy in the tub, Freddy killing Nancy's mom (much better in this version) from the original.
Also why? Why did they feel the need to show that Freddy actually committed those things. Why? What purpose did it service? Absolutely nothing. It would've hit harder if it would have been revealed that it was the kids that had lied about it. Yeah, it would have given Freddy more of a sympathetic feel to him. But it would have felt more earned. Instead, we get Yeah, Freddy did those things. They were right about him all along. Which honestly doesn't feel different from Freddy in the original series. It's more of a subtle way covered. But it's basically the same way.
The ending did feel like it could go into more interesting territory. I wouldn't have minded a dip into Dream Warriors feel for a sequel.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
(I'm going to keep telling myself that it was only a dream...)
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