You Smell Different.

In the 21st century, it seems like all the iconic horror heroes of the 80s have gotten the remake treatment. They might have been professionally made and had their good moments but none of them really managed to capture what made these characters memorable.  Perhaps they were too slick, and lack some of the grit. In the Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), the film does offer some new ideas but traps them in narrative that is just another remake.

One of the keys to the longevity of the Nightmare films and other big name slasher movies was their modular nature. Every film allowed you just plug in some new characters, a plot by Freddy and then go. Nightmare, by its nature, had slightly more intricate plots than say, Friday the 13th, but the end result was always killer vs. prey. So why remake the first film? Anyone unfamiliar with Freddy isn’t going to care, and anyone who is a fan will just be annoyed.

The film isn’t a complete loss, Jackie Earl Haley’s Freddy is menacing and weird. His look is a much more realistic take on what a burn victim looks like, it makes it more difficult to read his expressions which in turn gives him some distance as a character. The idea of staying awake eventually resulting in micro-dreams where Freddy can get you is a nice touch and something that could have really been expanded on.

The 2010 Nightmare on Elm Street was a misfire, but it appears one that won’t put Freddy down for long as Robert Englund has expressed interest in doing one more film.