Wes Craven’s New Nightmare

Wes Craven returns to the series that he started with what is undoubtedly its strongest entry, as the filmmaker eschews the silliness and thinly-developed characters that came to define the almost uniformly underwhelming sequels. The storyline, which follows a fictionalized version of Heather Langenkamp as she becomes convinced that Freddy (Robert Englund) is breaking through into the real world, is certainly far more interesting than anything the franchise has otherwise offered, although it’s hard to deny that the almost absurdly deliberate pace does require a fair amount of patience from the viewer. (The movie almost feels like a low-key drama for much of the opening hour, as Freddy doesn’t make his first real appearance until the 68-minute mark.) It’s the inherently compelling nature of the premise that generally keeps things interesting, and although Langenkamp’s performance isn’t exactly Oscar worthy, the actress does a nice job of transforming her “character” into a sympathetic and likeable figure. There’s little doubt, of course, that the film improves immeasurably once Freddy, now beefed up and more vicious than ever, arrives on the scene, with the highlight undoubtedly a sequence in which the disfigured killer attacks Heather’s babysitter (Tracy Middendorf’s Julie) in a brightly-lit hospital room. (This scene is so strong and so stirring, in fact, that it effectively stands as a high point within the entire series.) And while the climax is admittedly rather typical of the franchise – ie there’s lots of running and screaming within a dark, boiler-room-like locale – Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is a solid (yet undeniably uneven) horror effort that closes the book on the Freddy Krueger saga in better-than-expected style.

*** out of ****