A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

R

1989

1h 29m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

32%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

31%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

The fifth installment of the popular franchise focuses on Alice (Lisa Wilcox), a survivor of the fourth, who believes Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has been eliminated for good. She optimistically hopes to start a life with fellow survivor Dan (Danny Hassel). The nightmares begin soon enough, though, and Alice learns she is pregnant. When her friends start dying, Alice suspects that Freddy is using the fetus within her as a weapon. Can she fight the demon while protecting her unborn child?

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Critics Consensus

A Nightmare on Elm Street feels exhausted by this cheesy fifth entry, bogged down by a convoluted mythology while showing none of the chilling technique that kicked off the franchise.

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David Hughes

Empire Magazine

04/05/2010

2/5

Despite an impressive bag of special effects tricks, old Fred is starting to resemble one of those dead horses that studio execs insist on flogging.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

04/05/2010

The series here takes a depressing nosedive into zero-degree filmmaking.

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/26/2009

Fifth edition of the hit Nightmare series is a poorly constructed special effects showcase.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Oct 2

6/10

While stylish and broadly enjoyable, The Dream Child feels like a compromised work and does not quite make the impact that its immediate predecessor did.

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Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

Sep 25

3/5

The Dream Child has good ideas, and is entertaining despite its flaws. Partly a victim of a rushed production, and partly of extensive MPAA cuts, the final product is a slapdash jumble of what could have been a far more compelling entry in the franchise.

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Josh Mooney

Movieline

Sep 16

A pretty tired effort.

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Charles T

@CharlesGaming1000 4d

Alr, this is kinda bad

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 11

Este filme deveria ter sido cancelado.

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Kirstie W

@KLoves Jul 11

Scared the heck out of me when I was younger. Anyone who doesn’t like to I feel doesn’t get its silly / slasher type vibes.

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Anthony M.

@Cobblepot15 Jun 25

While A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child often gets overlooked in the grand scheme of the franchise, it is easily one of the most unique, atmospheric, and deeply personal chapters. Shifting away from the neon pop-aesthetic of Part 4, director Stephen Hopkins brought a dark, gothic, and surreal comic-book style to the series. But the real anchor that holds this entire nightmare together is the spectacular return of Alice Johnson.

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Brenden D

@WestWardReviews Jun 13

IT'S A MESS Another Meaningless Sequel That Holds No Value, The Kills Are Forgettable, As Is The Entire Plot, The Core Story Is Creepy, And Frsdy Only Has One Fun Line D- 2/10 Never Watch

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Dallas H

@FozzieMcFly Apr 27

The movie integrates an odd origin story alongside the progression of the Kreuger lore into the next generation of kids who will suffer from the terrible nightmares. Also, I forgot the kid who plays the dream version of Jack is the same actor who played the velociraptor kid towards the beginning of Jurassic Park.

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Stephen Hopkins

Director

Robert Englund

Freddy Krueger

Lisa Wilcox

Alice Johnson

Danny Hassel

Daniel 'Dan' Jordan

Kelly Jo Minter

Yvonne

Erika Anderson

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Synopsis

The fifth installment of the popular franchise focuses on Alice (Lisa Wilcox), a survivor of the fourth, who believes Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has been eliminated for good. She optimistically hopes to start a life with fellow survivor Dan (Danny Hassel). The nightmares begin soon enough, though, and Alice learns she is pregnant. When her friends start dying, Alice suspects that Freddy is using the fetus within her as a weapon. Can she fight the demon while protecting her unborn child?

Director: Stephen Hopkins
Producer: Robert Shaye, Rupert Harvey
Distributor: New Line Cinema, Image Entertainment Inc., Media Home Entertainment
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 11, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.2M
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)