A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Wes Craven, Robert Englund – Deconstructing

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Previous episodes of our Deconstructing… video series have covered films directed by popular masters of horror John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Sam Raimi, Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper, David Cronenberg, and William Friedkin, but we haven't covered anything made by Wes Craven… Until now! In the new episode, embedded above, we take a look at a Craven film that also happens to be one of the biggest horror films ever made, 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street! (You can watch the movie HERE.)

Written and directed by Craven, A Nightmare on Elm Street shows what happens when 

several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams — which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late?

In addition to the actors mentioned in the synopsis, the film also stars John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, Charles Fleischer, Joseph Whipp, Lin Shaye, and Joe Unger.

Deconstructing… is a monthly web series in which 

we choose one of your favorite horror movies and take it apart piece by piece (lovingly, of course) to see what makes it a classic. Each episode examines the origins, legacy and mysteries behind our beloved genre's most iconic titles… but we play fast and loose with the rules, so expect the unexpected!

The show is Written, Edited, and Narrated by Gregory Burkart, Produced by John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

A few of the previous episodes of Deconstructing… can be seen below. To see more, and to check out our other shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Videos YouTube channel – and subscribe while you're there!