A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 - The Dream Master

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

  • 56% of critics liked it
    (27 reviews)

  • 60% of users liked it
    (228,083 ratings)

This fourth trip down Freddy Lane was the most successful at the box-office, but although it has some impressive visuals, it is mostly an empty film. Credit must go to the effects team for some fine work, but otherwise, this entry from the director of Cutthroat Island (Renny Harlin) is extremely… More

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R,
Directed By
Genres
Horror
In Theaters
Aug 19, 1988 Wide
Media Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

    Consistently watchable and inventive.

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    Robert Englund, receiving star billing for the first time, is delightful in his frequent incarnations as Freddy, delivering his gag lines with relish and making the grisly proceedings funny.

  • , Time Out

    While some of the monotonous effects are strikingly surreal, Harlin's direction creates an atmosphere which is more morbid than scary.

  • Caryn James, New York Times

    Though the Elm Street series contains the most intelligent premise in current genre films, none of the movies take much advantage of their potential.

  • Richard Harrington, Washington Post

    As always, the teen actors are disposable, and even Robert Englund seems to be sleepwalking through Freddy.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • Nicki M


    I actually really enjoyed this 4th installment of the Elm street films. Tuesday Knight resumes Patricia Arquette's role of Kristen. Actually, I know I will be in the minority, but I preferred her. No, not a great actress, but her appearance fit well with the silliness here.… More

  • Cory T


    An ultra-stylish, guilty-pleasure sequel with a multi-layered character arc for the female protagonist who can tranpose interlopers into her dreams. Alice must mature from a shy, introverted side character to an impregnable warrior who can finally vanquish the culprit responsible for… More

  • MisterYoda ?


    3 stars

  • jd c


    Directed by Renny Harlin (director of Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Deep Blue Sea, Mindhunters, and Exorcist: The Beginning). Elm Street 4 is another great sequel. It's my fourth favorite in the series (the third being Wes Craven's New Nightmare). The… More

  • Jeff "


    Although not as great as Dream Warriors, this film still has strong moments, and is a terrific film in the Nightmare series. This is one of the first films in the Nightmare On Elm Street series to include a bit of comedy. The film Also has great dream sequences, and the deja vu part… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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