YMMV / Wes Craven's New Nightmare

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Has Freddy really escaped into the "real world" and is haunting actress Heather Langenkamp, or has Nancy lapsed into psychosis due to mental trauma suffered in previous films, and is mercifully deluded that she is merely an actress who portrayed someone going through those horrible events? (Getting temporarily better just so she can fight him off one more time before returning to her delusional safe haven.)
  • Or has Freddy finally managed to claw his way into the "beautiful dream" Kristen sent her into at the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, where she's an actress and Freddy is just a hammy pop-culture icon?
    • Although being constantly upstaged by Robert Englund in burn make-up could fall a bit shy of a beautiful dream.
    • Arguably Fridge Brilliance: Robert Englund being the person that the public focuses on allows Nancy (as Heather) to have a career, but not be in the public eye too much.
• Audience-Alienating Premise: Despite New Nightmare's positive critical reception, the film's Alternate Continuity, the meta concept of Freddy haunting the actors in real life, and Self-Insert Fic undertones turned off a lot of people as shown by the movie's low box office gross. In contrast, Scream (1996), which shared similar self-aware ideals, was a roaring success, and Wes attributes this to Scream being more relatable since the main characters in Scream were horror fans instead of horror producers.
• Awesome Music: The end credits.
• Complete Monster: "The Entity" is an ancient, demonic being that has tormented mankind for centuries in many forms, its only goal being the brutal slaying of innocent people. Able to be trapped inside "stories" for a time, the Entity was once the Witch of Hansel and Gretel, and in the present is the form of Freddy Krueger himself. Yearning to escape the Nightmare on Elm Street story, the Entity reaches out and begins butchering people around Heather Langenkamp, from the crew of the films to Heather's beloved husband Chase. All the while mentally tormenting Heather and her 5-year-old son Dylan on a nightly basis with violent dreams, the Entity forces Dylan to watch as it butchers his surrogate aunt Julie. The Entity plans to torturously kill both Heather and eat Dylan alive so it can finally enter reality and begin a full-fledged murder spree on humankind.
• Funny Moments: After Robert Englund in full Freddy makeup crashes Heather's interview, she's waiting patiently, completely ignored, while he (having removed the makeup and costume) signs tons of autographs. Amusing in and of itself, but then they start walking and talking:
  Robert: People would love to see us together on screen again.
  Heather: In what, a romantic comedy?
  Robert: Well, just because it's a romance, doesn't mean there can't be a decapitation or two.
• Harsher in Hindsight: The film focusing on Heather's relationship with her son can be hard to watch after the real Heather Langenkamp lost her son David in 2018.
• He Really Can Act:
  • Robert Englund. Check out his scenes without makeup on.
  • Heather Langenkamp already had her fans for her performances as Nancy Thompson in parts 1 and 3, but would she convince as a version of herself in the real world, terrified by Freddy? Yes, she convinces, and a lot.
• Love to Hate: The entity disguised as Freddy does a really good job of reigniting the fear and dread the original Freddy inspired before his Villain Decay. Many admire it for this.
• Magnificent Bastard: The fictionalized version of Wes Craven himself is a film director and storyteller with a singular purpose: to imprison the monstrous demon known as the Entity that takes the form of his creation Freddy Krueger. Understanding the nightmarish glee the Entity takes in slaughter, Wes also knows that the films are losing their capacity to contain the monster. Writing a new film script as "Freddy" begins to escape to the real world, Wes then delivers it to heroine Heather Langenkamp and arranges events so she will be forced to take on the role of Nancy, Freddy's greatest nemesis. Writing the events of the film and setting up the confrontation, Wes endangers Heather and her son Dylan while also ensuring Heather is strong enough to defeat "Freddy" and imprison the Entity with his newest film.
• Narm:
  • Dylan's screaming wouldn't be out of place in a Home Alone movie.
  • The random army of Freddies that appear as Dylan crosses the freeway. The zoom in on a few of them really, REALLY doesn't help, making them look like some utterly surreal Stand from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
• Special Effect Failure: Freddy picking Dylan up during the highway scene.
• Surprisingly Improved Sequel: While New Nightmare takes place in an alternative continuity, a lot of people regard it as a much better movie and the true finale to the series rather than Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. In fact New Nightmare is in general regarded as one of the best of the whole series.
• Unintentional Period Piece: The portrayal of the A Nightmare on Elm Street series as being over and done but not yet old enough to be enjoyed nostalgically also marks the film as a product of the post-slasher era of the early-mid '90s, much like the later Scream (which had the same director, Wes Craven).
• Vindicated by History: The film was well received by critics at the time, but it was a box office failure, probably due to the meta concept of Freddy attacking the actors of the movies in real life and just in general possible fatigue with the whole series at that point in time. Today, New Nightmare is unanimously regarded by fans as one of the best films in the franchise, bringing Freddy back to his darkest origins.
• Win Back the Crowd: After the first movie, almost all sequels were received mixed or negatively, with Freddy's Dead being considered the rock bottom. As such, New Nightmare represented a welcome change to the franchise, bringing the dark Freddy back and featuring a fascinating premise.

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