10 horror movies that were clearly inspired by A Nightmare on Elm Street

Like any great horror franchise worth its salt, A Nightmare on Elm Street Has inspired a whole lot of other movies, for better or for worse. Since the release of the first film featuring the dream-invading Freddy Krueger in 1984, the slasher genre has never been the same, with a whole new breed of snotty-talking supernatural horror villain now prowling theaters. The success of all nine Nightmare on Elm Street Movies came amid a wave of imitations taking heavy inspiration from the original film.

Movies that take ideas from A Nightmare on Elm Street Varies wildly in the very obvious. Some of them recycle a similar concept of an astral-projecting or nightmare-causing slasher villain like Freddy Krueger, or even simply the theme of ​​a dream and sleep-oriented horror story. Other times, the influence is less of a variation on a theme and more of a blatant copy, with motifs as specific as Freddy Krueger’s signature fedora, melted face or bladed glove being ripped off.

10

Bad dreams

Released in 1988

Hitting all the same narrative beats of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Bad dreams is among the earliest of the films to imitate the success of Wes Craven with the insidious tale of Freddy Krueger’s revenge. The film tells the story of the sole survivor of a New Age 70s cult, whose leaders and members willingly burn themselves alive in a mass ritual sacrifice. It is not long until the unhappy protagonist of the film is haunted by nightmares of the cult’s supposedly-dead leader, who seems to be somehow selecting the residents of the mental facility that she stays in one at a time.

interesting, Bad dreams is very specifically an homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Right down to the hippie mystique and the setting of a psychiatric hospital. The absurdity of the film with its kills gradually escalates to A Nightmare on Elm Street Levels too, with one particular death with a flood of blood cascading from air vents emulating the infamous bed scene from the first movie. for what it is Bad dreams is a fairly tired recitation of ideas that are better executed elsewhere.

9

Night killer

Released in 1990

A decidedly bleak recitation of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Night Killer bears some undeniable similarities to the iconic slasher film while injecting its own towering sense of creativity. An Italian horror film by Claudio Fragrasso, the film was hilariously shot in his home country as part of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, despite having zero connections to Leatherface or its ilk. The plot follows the lone survivor of a deranged serial killer and sexual predator, unable to recall her attacker’s face due to suppressive trauma.

light on the supernatural elements, Night killer Does not at first seem all that derivative of A Nightmare on Elm Street. However, one look at the titular killer’s weapon and the mask of choice immediately disproves this idea, with the villain touting a disfigured face and monstrous one cloud-black to terrorize his victims. despite this, Night killer is strangely compelling, existing at a strange intersection of ironically-enjoyable goofy rip-off and genuinely astounding morose horror.

8

Wishmaster

Released in 1997

Take the supernatural trappings of A Nightmare on Elm Street Even more in the realm of fantasy, Wishmaster has a very unique claim to fame as a horror movie with geniuses as the driving villains. Specifically, the film centers around the jinn, real entities of Arabian folklore, with one in particular being released from his opal prison after a series of accidental events. It’s up to a common jewel appraiser to stop the Djinn’s rampage before he can build a portal that allows his brothers to invade Earth.

The special rules of the Djinn’s twisted wish-granting in Wishmaster Emulate the complex paradigm of Freddy Krueger’s reality-warping somnambulist powersCall out A Nightmare on Elm Street Despite a very distinct plot. It does not help that Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, appears in the film as the rich tailor Raymond Beaumont. With Wes Craven as an executive producer, Wishmaster Captures the same particular kind of horror as A Nightmare on Elm Street While remaining quite original.

7

Mahakaal

Released in 1994

A Bollywood take on A Nightmare on Elm Street, Mahakal Manages to hit every beat of such a description anyone familiar with Indian-made copycat features might expect. Also billed more elaborate than Mahakal: The Monster, The Hindi-language horror film follows the same plot of the original Wes Craven flick almost beat-for-beat.

It’s almost as impressive as it is succinct Mahakaal Rips off A Nightmare on Elm Street, From the almost identical villains to the narrative beats to even one-to-one recreations of famous murder scenes, with some being lifted from later Freddy Krueger sequels like A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. of course, Breaking the flagrant copyright violations are the traditional trappings of the Bollywood horror subgenre, Includes martial arts scenes, a hilarious comic relief character, and lots of songs.

6

Dream demon

Released in 1988

With its very title being the same as Freddy Krueger’s otherworldly patrons, the Clomarks of A Nightmare on Elm Street are all over 1988s Dream demon. The British interpretation of Wes Craven’s classic tracks soon-to-be-married wealthy schoolgirl Diana as she moves into her new London flat in a sprawling, mysterious mansion. It’s not long before she begins to experience vivid nightmares that twist her beloved fiancé Oliver into a sadistic torture, prompting Diana to join forces with Jenny, a London punk with some connection to the Airy House.

Dream demon Assault the senses with an underworldly blend of terror that evokes A Nightmare on Elm Street, Peppering in dashes of Hellraiser And David Lynch, as well. The nightmare-oriented premise is undeniably an inspiration to Freddy Krueger, with the film’s enjoyable sinister dream sequences evoking the same mixture of disgust and affection. With some excellent special effects, a solid leading duo and a fascinating dissection of the haunting nature of trauma, Dream demon is shockingly provocative for its hard-borrowed initial concept.

5

Shocker

Released in 1989

It is difficult to say that 1989s Shocker Raised directly from A Nightmare on Elm Street Consider its status as another movie from Wes Craven, horror visionary and creator of the Freddy Krueger mythos. For every popular franchise he started, there are several lesser-known Wes Craven movies that fill the ranks of his filmography. Between them sits shaker, Which is a clear variation on the same themes of A Nightmare on Elm Street. The story centers on a serial killer who is sentenced to die by the electric chair, only to come back to haunt his killers as an electrified ghost.

Besides being centered on a murderous entity of a real-life serial killer, Shocker may seem largely untouched by the influence of A Nightmare on Elm Street At first glance. However, the protagonist, Jonathan, has a special connection in his dreams to the high-voltage ghost as the villain Pinker’s long-lost son. Beyond the similar imagery of the nightmare sequences, Pinker’s limitations as a being made of pure lightning bear some similarities to Freddy Krueger’s own voids as a dream-bound entity.

4

Sleep stalker

Released in 1995

Nothing provokes the terror of A Nightmare on Elm Street Better than a single, memorable Supernatural antagonist, and 1995’s Sleep stalker Nails this aspect with flying colours. Reaching across the horror aisle to grab a few ingredients from Play child’s play also, Sleep stalkerThe villain is the bloodthirsty serial killer known as “The Sandman”, who participates in a voodoo ritual on the eve of his execution to live as a shift silicate monster. To complete the ritual, the Sandman seeks the blood of his estranged little brother, Griffin.

For as creative as his villain is, Sleep stalker yet unambiguously borrows from A Nightmare on Elm Street, With the Sandman’s face makeup feeling like a variation on that of Freddy Krueger. The Sandman’s sense of humor and penchant for singing creepy lullabies further identifies him with the more famous dream-bound killer. It’s a shame that his film’s laughable CGI can’t stand the test of time as well as the practical effects of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

3

dreammanic

Released in 1986

While quite similar to A Nightmare on Elm Street in practice, dreammanic At least it puts some psycho-sexual twists on the typical formula of the acclaimed horror franchise. The plot revolves around a heavy-metal lyricist who, in the wake of an upcoming sexually-friendly sorority party, summons a satanic succubus to help make him supernaturally irresistible to the ladies. The catch? The demon plans to feed on any partner the musician is able to charm.

Sprinkle in a hefty dose of eroticism in the typical horror formula, dreammanic is not surprisingly the first non (entirely) pornographic film from director David DeCoteau. As a result, dreammanic watches as a mature parody of A Nightmare on Elm Street With some notably cheaper production value, it mimics the same visual roughness and art stylings of its predecessor. The film is also an early example of a queer-coded horror movie, unlike the LGBTQ+ themes of Freddy Krueger’s second movie appearance.

2

Satan’s bed

Released in 1986

Indonesia has long cemented itself as an international hotspot for horror movies, so it’s no wonder the country would end up producing its own take on A Nightmare on Elm Street. Interestingly, the film’s replacement for Freddy Krueger is a vengeful Dutch ghost, sprinkling in touches of The Exorcist And Poltergeist On top of the already clear influence of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Of all the films to “borrow” from Wes Craven’s classic, Satan’s bed Has perhaps the fewest original ideas.

of course, The main villain haunts the story of Satan’s bed Has a disfigured face and wields a claw with bladed fingertips, but he has at least a few partners in crime, including a spectral ghost wife. yet, Satan’s bed Recreates every iconic moment of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street With little deviation, such as Freddy slowly pushing his face through a wall or breaching the surface of a bubble-bath claw-first. Factor in the cheap production value, and Satan’s bed Remains a suitable film only for completion.

1

Helmmaster

Released in 1992

Smashing together the influences of A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Hellraiser movies, Helmmaster is an overlooked early 90s horror offering that doesn’t quite appeal to everyone’s sensibilities. On paper, the premise seems quite original, after a mad scientist of a college professor who does with twisted experiments, turning helpless students into terrible killer mutants. In practice, however, the film’s A Nightmare on Elm Street Affiliations become quite obvious.

For one, actor John Saxon, A Nightmare on Elm Streets own lieutenant Don Thompson stars as the main antagonist, chewing the cheap scenery as the nihilistic Professor Jones. Jones is also the paranormal survivor of a mob-justice arson case, returning twenty years later after supposedly being burned alive. Most of all, it is HelmmasterS wacky, played practical effects that bring to mind the images of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Not to mention the presence of a psychic character that brings to mind the subconscious battles of Nancy Thompson.