*For those interested, I have covered Freddy vs. Jason and Elm Street 2010. Feel free to check them out.*
After the failure of Freddy's Dead, it seemed like the Elm Street franchise had been put to rest. New Line had finally found a way to put Freddy to rest. They were ready to move on. However, something interesting happened. The fans weren't ready to say goodbye. They still were hoping for more.
To make this even more special, the 10 year anniversary of the original was right around the corner. Everything was coming together in just the right way. Members of the original cast were returning. And Wes Craven was happy to revisit his creation one more time.
What a better way to go out than to have the one that created it to wrap it up? By this point, Wes had done so many different kind of films. He was so ready to make sure that this would be different than the more comedic entries. It was a return to its roots. It was a return in such a special way. It threw everything that fans were expecting out the window. Instead, Wes was trying such a different approach with the meta elements of New Nightmare. It was a prototype in a way to what he'd later go on to do with Scream.
I have seen some people say that New Nightmare isn't great. For me, this was an entry I'd place on the more meaningful side of the franchise. Whenever I wasn't feeling the greatest and was home sick, I'd either put on Indiana Jones or New Nightmare. Sometimes I'd switch it up and watch the original Nightmare. So in a way, it became a comfort movie for me. When the news of Wes's passing happened, this was the first film of his I watched.
New Nightmare was so unique. It blended the meta and film elements together in such a refreshing way. It allowed us to find a way to fear Freddy once again. Well, the entity that portrayed Freddy in the film. For some, I could see that as a cop out. However, this added a new feel of menace to the character. Especially considering that this was now the 'thing that the first caveman was afraid of' that Wes had talked about in the past. So immediately it set this into a more mythological approach in a way. This is immediately evident at the end of the film with the Lair.
One thing that I will say is that I feel the 'Reel Freddy' design is a bit cheesy. Long trenchcoat probably is a large reason why. Why was this needed? I get that some may say it evokes the Witch from Hansel and Gretel. But partially, it feels dumb. The new glove that he uses is cool though. It's a definite upgrade over the original.
This film was a love letter to the original and the franchise. It was Wes way of saying thanks as well. All of the parallels between the original and this work together really well.
Another high point for me was the cast. Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon's performances are super solid. Miko Hughes as Dylan was also great. This here was a character that felt close to my age. He was able to do so much. And the fact that the film does hang on whether or not it works is interesting. Robert Englund also steals the show with his performance. It's familiar yet eerily not. The thing that I wish we had more of was Robert Englund as Robert Englund. It feels like he was just dropped too early and was a missing plot hole.
There is a bit of cheese, in my opinion, with the use of Hansel and Gretel. It just felt a bit convenient. It helped wrap the film up in a nice bow. But ultimately, New Nightmare was a very welcome addition to the franchise.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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