It’s hard to overstate just how significant Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street still is. The slasher classic has successfully infiltrated our popular subconscious, reaching a sinister gloved hand into the imaginations of generations of filmmakers and reshaping modern horror cinema. It’s perhaps only with hindsight that the full extent of the 1984 movie’s impact can be appreciated. But even with its iconic villain, inspired premise, and archetypal story, the original A Nightmare on Elm Street is much more than an artifact to be admired. It remains a thrilling spectacle albeit with some of its originality tarnished.