TheNightmare on Elm Street Franchiseis a long-running slasher-horror franchise that began in 1984 and ran up until 2010 created by Wes Craven. The films follow killer Freddy Kruger who preys on teens in their dreams, killing them in real life. This malformed psychopathic killer has knives for fingers and a horrifyingly deformed face that is hard to look at. The franchise is known for its creative murder methods from turning someone into a bucket of mush to turning them into a human marionette puppet, these gruesome methods of murder are creatively horrifying. TheNightmare on Elm Streetfranchise has become so iconic that it’s beenparodied by the adult animated show Rick & Morty referred to as “Scary Terry".
While theNightmare on Elm Streetfranchise is considered one of the most original and best slasher franchises in history, that doesn’t mean that every film installation is as good as the last. In fact, some would say that the 2010 remake of the original film was a waste of time, being overall reviewed as a ploy for more money to make off of the good reputation the series built over the years. There is an art to making a sequel, adding more content while maintaining a level of quality that the audience will recognize as being a part of the original. This is not easy to achieve, especially when there are nine films in the franchise, but the best installment in the franchise isNightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. It has so many memorable scenes and is iconic enough for ashot for shot scene to be remade using only an iPhone. Here are five reasons whyNightmare on Elm Street 3is the best film in the franchise.
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Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming is a concept in which the dreamer is aware they are dreaming and, as a result, they are in control of what they do and oftentimes have control over their surroundings. This exciting concept was introduced into the franchise and allows the dreamers to engage in combat within their dreams. As a result, the dreamer is no longer simply a victim of Freddy’s and is now able to fight back. This works to the advantage of the characters but also to the advantage of the audience as the characters are no longer prey that can be killed at any time. As a result, the audience is gifted with the adrenaline of anticipation, awaiting the next murder. This perfectly wonderful concept keeps the plot moving forward and opens up new combat opportunities rather than having an endless line of victims being torn apart byFreddy Kruger.
Nancy’s Return
After her storyline was left unresolved from the first film, Nancy returns to the franchise six years later as a doctor. Nancy was the main character who first dreamt about Freddy and some would say kick-started the killer franchise in the first place. But her character’s fate was left open, much to the dismay of Wes Craven, at the end of the first film, and while her diaries appear in the second film, her physical presence is missing. As an adult, she decides to help the teens who are having the same problems she had with Freddy. Nancy’s return was not only great for fans of the original, but it further displayed the feud between Freddy and Nancy as Nancy is the only one to ever have evaded Freddy. It was also recently revealed thatthe house to appear in the original film has gone up for sale.
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Craven Co-wrote the Script
Wes Craven is a well-known name in the horror community, responsible for some of the best horror creations and deemed“a master of horror”. Craven was present for the production of the originalNightmare on Elm Street, but he wasn’t present forNightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revengebut he makes his return inNightmare on Elm Street 3.Seeing his name on the screen as a writer was a relief for many horror buffs as Craven’s absence fromNightmare on Elm Street 2was felt by most as Craven felt that the script forNightmare on Elm Street 2was below par which is why he made the decision to step back in the first place.
Most Creative Kills in Any Franchise
Nightmare on Elm Streetas a franchise is most known for the creative modes of death that Freddy carries out and the best of these can be found inNightmare on Elm Street 3. Freddy’s targets are all teens with hopes and fantasies but Freddy comes in to slash them, literally. Jennifer, who hopes to one day become an actress and ironically has her head smashed into the tv by Freddy who says “Welcome to prime time, bitch!”. Another creative kill that Freddy carries out is Phillip, a young suicidal teen at an asylum whose hobby is making marionette puppets. Freddy cuts into Philip’s tendons and strings him up like a puppet, walking him down the hall of the asylum and eventually leading him to walk out of a building. This death was ruled a suicide but the reality is far more heinous. On top of these two kills, the most iconic to come from the film is Taryn’s overdose which is its own reason thatNightmare on Elm Street 3is the best film in the franchise.
Freddy’s Syringe Claws
As one of his most gruesome and ironic methods of murder in the film is when he switches out his regular claws for syringes and takes out ex-addict Taryn. The irony of this kill is similar to some of the others seen throughout the film, but this is particularly gruesome as Taryn struggled with drug abuse and while she was recovering, he forced her addiction to kill her. On top of this, the aesthetic of the syringe claws has become an iconic symbol of Freddy. Switching out his finger knives for syringes was not only a wise choice to keep the film unique and fresh, but it also showed the audience that Freddy is a serial killer that will let nothing stand in his way. It also displays how he takes advantage of people’s weaknesses and uses them against them, like a true psychopath.
