A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Our second horror film that spawned a franchise comes to us from 1984. Directed by (now) horror master Wes Craven, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" spins the tale of a vengeful spirit returned to take his revenge on the children of the people who killed him. Fred Kreuger (Robert Englund) was a serial killer of children who got off on a technicality, which caused the parents in town to take matters into their own hands. Somehow, years later, Freddie has returned as a dream specter, targeting the children of those who killed him. Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), her boyfriend Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp in a very early role), and her friend Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss) discover that they've all been having the same dream of a dirty, disfigured man in a tattered red and green-striped sweater, who has knife-tipped gloves. Shortly thereafter, one of the girls is killed in a truly horrific manner and, while her boyfriend Rod Lane (Jsu Garcia) is blamed for it, Nancy believes something far more sinister and macabre is happening. Nancy is finally able to convince her mother (Ronee Blakely) to tell her the truth about the dream specter, which explains why he's hunting her and her friends. She even attempt to persuade her father, police Lieutenant Thompson (John Saxon) of her theories, only to realize that she and she alone can stop Freddie. Plus, the trio reveal which thriller director will be the focus of their next pairing!