The 1984 classic, A Nightmare on Elm Street, holds a revered place in horror cinema. Imagine, then, the trepidation and perhaps morbid curiosity when a remake surfaced in 2010. If you pictured a version infused with the over-the-top sensibilities of Michael Bay, known for blockbusters like Transformers, you’re not far off from the disastrous reality of this reboot. Sadly, the Nightmare on Elm Street movie 2010 fails to reignite the terrifying legacy of Freddy Krueger, instead delivering a lackluster and ultimately forgettable experience.
Despite the initial apprehension, a glimmer of hope existed. Could this remake offer a darker, more serious take on Freddy, a character arguably diluted by sequels and parody? The involvement of Wesley Strick, a writer with credits including Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear, and the casting of Jackie Earle Haley, fresh from his chilling portrayal of Rorschach in Watchmen, as Freddy Krueger, suggested a potential for genuine scares. How wrong those hopes would prove to be.
The reality of Nightmare on Elm Street movie 2010 is stark: it is astonishingly bad. Director Samuel Bayer, transitioning from music videos to his feature film debut, aimed to strip away the dark humor of later Elm Street installments. Regrettably, in doing so, he also eradicated any semblance of suspense or terror. What remains is a visually drab, dimly lit film populated by unengaging characters, plagued by stilted performances, and utterly devoid of the tension and energy that define effective horror.
Pinpointing the film’s failings could be an exhaustive exercise, but two critical flaws cripple this Nightmare remake beyond redemption.
Firstly, the reimagining of Freddy Krueger himself is profoundly ineffective. Robert Englund’s original Freddy, while evolving into a more comedic figure over time, was initially genuinely unsettling. Jackie Earle Haley’s Freddy, however, is simply not scary. Haley’s smaller stature diminishes Freddy’s physical presence, and his voice, an exaggerated, gravelly imitation of Christian Bale’s Batman, sounds unintentionally comical.
Adding insult to injury is the atrocious Freddy Krueger makeup. Supposedly designed for “realism,” depicting a burn victim, it instead renders Haley expressionless and devoid of any menacing charisma. This Freddy is not frightening; worse, he is simply boring and unmemorable.
One might anticipate that a modern Nightmare on Elm Street movie 2010 would at least deliver innovative and gruesome “kills,” a hallmark of the franchise. However, this is the second major downfall. The film features a surprisingly low number of kills, and the few noteworthy ones are blatant copies from the 1984 original. Fans of Wes Craven’s masterpiece will recognize numerous near-identical scenes, executed with a larger budget but devoid of any artistic creativity or impact.
The acting in Nightmare on Elm Street movie 2010 is, with very few exceptions, remarkably poor. While some actors have demonstrated competence in other roles, under Bayer’s direction, their performances are often laughable. Thomas Dekker’s portrayal evokes a bizarre impression of Casey Affleck if he had completely forgotten how to act, and yet, he is among the more tolerable cast members.
Among the leads, only Kyle Gallner injects a much-needed dose of personality and wit into the film. Gallner’s performance single-handedly elevates the final act, as by that point, the audience is likely wishing for the demise of every other character.
However, even Gallner’s efforts cannot salvage Bayer’s inept direction. Every jump scare and dream sequence is telegraphed with agonizing predictability. A crucial element of the original Elm Street was the subtle and disorienting blurring of lines between reality and nightmares. Bayer completely misses this nuance. Every dream sequence is jarringly distinct, utterly destroying any sense of suspense or psychological dread.
A significant portion of Nightmare on Elm Street movie 2010‘s runtime is dedicated to revealing Freddy’s backstory, a narrative already deeply ingrained in popular culture. The film briefly teases a minor twist on the original premise, a fleeting moment of originality, before promptly discarding it for a formulaic and uninspired plot.
While a genuine appreciation exists for horror films, including those that prioritize either scares or entertainment value (ideally both), Nightmare on Elm Street movie 2010 delivers neither. Devoid of genuine scares and lacking any discernible fun, this remake barely escapes a failing grade, proving to be a nightmare for all the wrong reasons.
