Wes Craven’s New Nightmare

• 31st Mar 2011

Freddy was dead, but then Craven who has all but ignored his creation decided to resurrect him again – this time in the real world!  He lured back actors from his original film to play themselves. Hell he even got the producer and himself to play small roles in this to give it a little bit more credence. And as much of a stretch as it sounds – it actually worked!

So Freddy is trying to break through into the real world and Heather Langenkamp has to protect her son before Freddy finds himself a new conduit to use. The film doesn’t force the scares, but does in fact build tension before Freddy finally makes his real appearance in the film. Claw marks on the wall here, a death there… It’s a well thought out and well crafted chiller.

The oddity about this film is that for many big fans this is a high or low point. It’s a surprising polarisation for either end too. I for one believe this to be the second best of the series (and on some days the best of the series) and therefore can’t quite get why avid fans of the first film don’t like it.  Is it the barrier between the real world and the fictional one that has been torn down? Is it because it isn’t as daft like the other sequels?

New Nightmare stuck a well deserved knife in the back of the latter films and showed them all how it should have done. With respect for the character, the material and by treating the darker moments with terror as opposed to as dark comedy. Nightmares are after all places of fear, not gentle laughter. There are a couple of shots that demonstrate this. When Freddy makes his first onscreen appearance here (with his new and improved make up design) he literally leaps out of the closet. It’s a great “Miss Me?” moment. And the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Here is Freddy intent on scares, even if hi dialogue at times can be darkly humorous. The other moment is when the babysitter, Julie, is about to die there is a very serious shot of Kruger rising up behind her, his arm arches to the sky, ready to strike at her as the girl (with her back to him) tries to calm down the small child who sees what is about to happen. It’s a great example of what Craven can do well when it comes to setting up a death scene that is horrific and is built with dreaded suspense, and Englund sells it playing the moment completely straight with an expression on his faces that was sadly lacking from the more comical instalments of the franchise.

The final act takes a step back from the scares and goes pure fantasy on us – starting with John Saxon slipping from the role of himself into the role of Nancy’s father. From here onwards we follow Nancy into a Hansel and Gretel world where Freddy is quite capable of eating the heads’ of small children, but thankfully is kicked into the oven like all bad witches.

It’s a bit cute, but wraps up nicely with its storybook style ending, and at least ties into what Wes craven’s idea of keeping the evil contained meant doing. So some may call it smug, other may think it was brave – but either way it was a much needed dose of the Freddy we originally met. Once who will terrorized with imagery and visceral ties to your emotional baggage before coming at you with his claws.

Steven Hurst