A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master - Freddy at his best

You’ll notice that I say ‘Freddy’ at his best. In Part 4 of the popular horror franchise, Robert Englund gets top billing and for a reason… he’s definitely the best part of the film. He’s back as the undead child-killer who attacks teenagers in their dreams and this time… well, who cares, right?

By Part 4 of any horror franchise you pretty much know the set-up. Teens. They dream. They die. It’s all pretty standard. However, as I mentioned, what makes it worth seeing is Freddy. He’s truly deliciously evil, obviously revelling in his own grisly performance. Plus (and I always thought this aspect elevated the Freddy films over the ‘Jason films’) because the death scenes happen in a ‘dream world’ they are always a lot more imaginative and fun than simply seeing a man in a hockey mask chopping a semi-naked teen up.

Personally, I enjoy seeing Freddy have fun and ‘mess’ with his victims. I think it makes him more evil. However, some long-standing fans of the franchise felt that Freddy was getting too ‘comical’ to be taken seriously. That’s one opinion, but I disagree.

Basically, Nightmare 4 is worth a look if you’re a fan of the franchise or like cheesy eighties horror films. Just don’t expect great acting from anyone other than Englund. The other actors really don’t seem to be up to the job (or, to be fair on them, this fault could lie with the writers/director) and recite their stilted dialogue with all the conviction of a cheap daytime soap. But then I don’t watch this film for them. It’s Freddy all the way.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one