With eight seven main installments, a clash with Jason Voorhees, and a remake,A Nightmare on Elm Streetis one ofhorror’s top-tier franchises. But it wouldn’t be that way if it weren’t anchored by a truly memorable antagonist. And outside of Darth Vader Freddy Krueger is as iconic a villain as it gets.
But what separatesA Nightmare on Elm StreetandFriday the 13this a consistently likable and fleshed-out group of teens. They’re not cardboard cutouts, they feel like real people. So, each time Freddy ups his kill count, the viewer is devastated. In that lies the beauty ofElm Street: the only truly famous character is vile, but the vile character isn’t the only one who will stick in the viewer’s mind for days on end.
16Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp)
With only two appearances before her untimely demise, it’s surprising that Nancy Thompson is still seen as theA Nightmare on Elm Streetfranchise’s main “Final Girl.” For instance, Kristen Parker was featured in bothDream WarriorsandThe Dream Masterwhile Alice Johnson led the charge on bothThe Dream MasterandThe Dream Child.
But there’s just something about Nancy, both for the audience and for Krueger himself (a plot detail the remake explored in a bit more detail to uncomfortable results). And, consideringHeather Langenkamp is up for a legacy sequel, now’s the time to make a reunion happen. Wes Craven already made it work once inNew Nightmareby pushing Thompson aside in favor of Langenkamp herself, so perhaps the newest batch of solid legacy sequels can find something comparably interesting to do with the character and performer.
15Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp)
Like the originalFriday the 13th, Wes Craven’s seminalA Nightmare on Elm Streetserved as early exposure for a future A-Lister. But instead of Ms. Voorhees knocking off a high-as-a-kite Kevin Bacon, it’s a dream demon pulling the soon-to-beEdward Scissorhandsinto a bed only to turn him into spewing tomato soup.
Depp’s Glen Lantz is (was) Nancy Thompson’s boyfriend, and he’s a pretty darn good one. He’s loyal, respectful of Nancy’s boundaries, willing to wait for intimacy, and genuinely concerned that she’s losing her mind. Unfortunately, he also has a tendency to fall asleep while watching television.
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14Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss)
Tina Gray seems like she’s going to last longer inA Nightmare on Elm Streetthan she actually does, regardless of how many times the viewer’s seen the film. She feels so organic to real-world young adults that it’s just devastating when Freddy drags her across the ceiling (in one of themost memorable nightmares of the franchise).
If anything, Tina is positioned as the film’s lead, and had she lasted longer she’d be every bit the central figure Nancy is. But, unfortunately, the audience barely gets to know the sweet, soft-spoken young woman before her untimely passing.
13Donald Thompson (John Saxon)
The late John Saxon brought gravitas to his role as Donald Thompson. In just two movies the actor made the man much more than a standard concerned father figure. There’s conflict in his face as he oscillates between wanting to believe what his daughter is saying and definitivelynotwanting to believe it.
Affiliated with the police department in the original film but a self-induced drunkard in the third film, Thompson has let his relationship with Nancy slip considerably. But he redeems himself inDream Warriors, which the audience never doubts from the moment he’s reintroduced.
12Ken and Cheryl Walsh (Clu Gulager and Hope Lange)
Hope Lang and Clu Gulager (Return of the Living Dead) are so good in the bizarreA Nightmare on Elm Street 2:Freddy’s Revengetheir characters warrant inclusion. The vast majority of the secondElm Streetfilm seems as though it’s a fever dream, even more so than the remainder, and each time Jesse Walsh’s parents are on screen it seems more so.
They kind of just exist. They’re either only slightly concerned by their son’s daily night terrors or only slightly concerned about a bird bursting into flame in their home, and that’s it. It’s as if they’ve never set a step in reality, and it works well for the divisive sophomoreElm Street.
11Max (Laurence Fishburne)
In one of his earliest roles, the great Laurence Fishburne (then “Larry” Fishburne) put in one of theElm Streetsaga’s best supporting performances. Max is an orderly at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, and he undoubtedly has a full heart.
Even if Fishburne wasn’t elevating the role, Max would be a very well-written character, particularly for a fairly minor one in a slasher film. But Fishburne is in the role, and his warm performance makes the viewer more than glad he survives until the end.
10Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette)
From nearly being eaten by one of Freddy’s scariest forms to delivering some legitimately heartbreaking tears while holding a dying Nancy Thompson, Patricia Arquette’s take on Kristen Parker is a perfect early indication of the range she would go on to display throughout her impressive career. It also makes her every bit the final girl Nancy is, if not more so. She’s certainly more layered than most slasher characters, as the audience gets a feel for Parker’s inner turmoil the moment they meet her.
The same can’t quite be said of Tuesday Knight’s take on the character in the subsequentA Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. But that’s less to do with the performer and more to do with the fact that she, Joey, and Kincaid were basically there to buoyFreddy’s kill count.
9Taryn White (Jennifer Rubin)
Among Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital’s numerous memorable cinematic patients, Taryn White is probably the most memorable. With a deep dark past that’s hinted at just enough, White feels like a genuine young person struggling to make her way in the world.
Yet, even with all the hurt she’s experienced, she’s only cold on the surface. Once she knows the individual, she’ll pick up two switchblades, say “Let’s dance,” and fight for them. Unfortunately, in the end, White is given too much of her favorite medicine by Dr. Krueger. Furthermore, the caliber of Jennifer Rubin’s performance is alone a reason to recommend the thirdElm Streetfilm.
8Roland Kinkaid (Ken Sagoes)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Mastermay have been thehighest-grossing slasher film of 1988, but fans must have known fairly quickly it would fall well short ofDream Warriors. On one hand, Chuck Russell’s third film set a sky-high bar for future sequels, and on the other, it’s never good when a sequel pulls aRobocop 3and kills off a beloved character in the first act.
The Dream Masterkilled off three beloved characters in the first act, and the protective Kincaid was one of them. Pushed down repeatedly by life, Kincaid often appears withdrawn and volatile, but for the right person, he’ll always extend a helping hand or maybe even a hug. Unfortunately, this keeps him intertwined with Kristen Parker, which ultimately ends in a dream-set embrace with Freddy, who doesn’t hug gently.
7Alice Johnson (Lisa Wilcox)
It becomes obvious pretty early on inA Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream MasterthatDream Warriors' protagonist is going to be short-lived. And the fourth film’s version of the timid Kristen Parker is certainly short-lived, meaning she had to be replaced by someone.
So, audiences got the even more timid Alice. Of course, Alice would be popular enough to go on to carryThe Dream Child, but there’s little doubt she’s lacking when compared to Patricia Arquette’s deeply emotional leading performance in the third film (though not for a lack of trying by the talented and likable Lisa Wilcox). Even still, Alice is the type to take charge if a friend needs saving, which reveals far more about her than her 999 times out of 1000 shy behavior does.
