Leave Them Alone! Most Upsetting Movie Remakes
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street
In the 1984 version, the prominent themes highlighting the difference between dreams and reality and the difficulty of adolescence were important aspects of the slasher film.
These themes were the reason why the original movie gave birth to a franchise that would last for decades, and they are also what made the film so addictive.
The original film, which starred Amanda Wyss, Heather Langekamp, Nick Corri, and a young Johnny Depp, took audiences by surprise and became a hit in spite of having a relatively small marketing budget.
The 2010 remake – also entitled simply “A Nightmare on Elm Street” – totally missed the mark. Director Samuel Bayer helmed a cast that included Katie Cassidy, Kellan Lutz, and Rooney Mara.
Decisions were made to try to make the character of Freddy Kruger (played in this incarnation by Jackie Earle Haley) scarier by establishing him as a true child molester and altering his appearance with CGI to make him look like a real burn victim.
Eventually, the movie hit theaters and was met with almost unanimous distaste by both critics and audiences. Taking out the deeper meaning behind the original, it was viewed as pure filler.
