A Nightmare On Elm Street is a 2018-2023 American Fantasy Slasher Horror series developed by Jonathan Craven & Cathy Konrad, distributed and premiering exclusively on Netflix, under it's original banner. The cast primarily consists of Michael Ealy Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale, Sydney Park, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Adam Fielding and Robert Englund.
The series follows on from the original A Nightmare On Elm Street film franchise that began with Wes Craven's 1984 instalment. Englund reprises his iconic antagonist role of Freddy Krueger while various stars of the franchise from Heather Langenkamp to Johnny Depp make guest appearences.
Prolific horror film writers and directors such as Eli Roth, Adam Green, Neil Marshall and Michael Dougherty direct episodes of the series.
It was conceived by it's two developers as a Freddy for the 2010's to keep the character alive following on from Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes' 2010 remake of the original.
Each season released altogether (with a total of six episodes) on a set premiere date: the first season premiering on July 20th, 2018, the second season on July 12th, 2019, the third season on February 10th, 2020, the fourth season March 20th, 2021, the fifth season on July 10th, 2022 and the sixth and final season on July 20th, 2023.
Plot[]
Season One[]
Carver Denning one of the few remaining Elm Street children must come to confront the spectre of Freddy again, as his teenage neighbor Abby becomes exposed to the nightmare that is Freddy Krueger, and utilising the fear spread by her to her friends, he returns to haunt Carter's life and threaten his family.
Season Two[]
Released Ohio convict Fast Cut Finlayson returns to his hometown of Springwood in the wake of some horrifying local deaths. He discovers his wife Andrea's death to be the result of Freddy Krueger, a demon from Finlayson's past who is using a terrifying new method of dream assault to claim more victims.
Main Cast[]
Season 1[]
- Michael Ealy as Carver Denning
- Regina Hall as Julia Lodson
- Sydney Park as Abby Lodson
- Lulu Antariska as Penelope Launders
- Claudia Lee as Peta Royce
- Charlie DePew as Finn Bishop
- David Dobrik as Malcolm Tannis
- Joey Bragg as Callum Golding
- Ariana Neal as Laura Denning
- Alicia Agneson as Marin Salinger
Season 2[]
- Ricky Schroder as Fast Cut Toby Finlayson
- Jennifer Westfeldt as Andrea Finlayson
- Dominic Purcell as Westall Marlowe
- Chelsea Zhang as Yuri Matashi
- Tanay Chheda as Evan Sauri
- Vivian Benitez as Satrine Dawson
- Gig Morton as Leo Samden
- Aurora Aksnes as Opal Samden
- Yun Lin as Sai Chien
- Thomas Lennon as Dr. Dan Severaux
- Louise Lombard as Ellie Caller
- Raúl Esparza as Laynard Evans
Episodes[]
1. Nightmares On Elm Street: Written by Jonathan Craven & Cathy Konrad Directed by Jonathan Craven[]
1983 Fred Krueger abducts young Springwood Elementary student Sienna Denning, killing her off-screen with his finger glove at his power plant boiler room. In present day Sienna's younger brother Carver is now grown up and following the death of his wife Amy, raising their twin daughters Ellen and Laura. Carver ends up becoming close with new neighbor and Springwood realtor Julia, who has moved from Akron, Ohio with her 17 year old sister Abby in tow.
A package comes in the mail for Carver but is wrongly addressed to the Lodsons instead, Julia on her way to work and dropping off Abby at school takes the package down to their basement. After school bringing her new friends Penelope, Peta and gay Malcolm to the house while her sister is away for Friday drinks they come across the package. It's contents pertaining to Fred Krueger, his numerous murders and dream related bizarre deaths and claims by former survivalists Nancy Thompson, Jesse Walsh, Kristen Parker, Dr. Neil Gordon and Alice Jordan. Penelope recollects overhearing her parents' discussion about Freddy. That night Freddy visits Abby in her dream of her and Julia's mother who lures her to a boiler room, and attacks her cutting her arm, an injury she carries into reality.
Julia worries that Abby may be suicidal and recommends therapy, while Abby reasons that the man detailed in the package for next door could apparently harm and kill people in their dreams. At school Abby relays what happened to her to the others, with several other students and staff overhearing her, including school crush Finn, school nurse Nadine and Malcolm's friend Callum. At work Julia daydreams of their mother briefly being murdered by Freddy before snapping awake. Ellen and Laura mention to their dad they overheard talk about a dream in an argument that morning between Julia and Abby. Nadine that night has a nightmare involving working late at night at school when suddenly other staff disappear and she comes across a headless boy revealed to be her older brother Brent, shooting a basketball, which suddenly becomes his head before he chases her.
In the school basement which becomes the boiler room Freddy slashes her back numerous times and after a gash to her chest immolates her. As a result in reality Nadine has burnt to death in her home which sets her place alight.
2. Daydream: Written and directed by Cathy Konrad[]
After Nadine's death Springwood is shaken, her death ruled accidental. Abby and Finn look into the charred remains of a crime scene that is Nadine's home. Julia approaches Carver about the package. Penelope, Peta and Malcolm each have daydream encounters with Freddy.
That morning as Peta is trying to awaken she finds her bloodied parents downstairs preparing breakfast and Freddy laughing as he contorts out of the oven and advances, which wakens her. Penelope on her way to school on the bus dreams of a charred Nadine getting onto the bus with a human Fred Krueger for a driver drives them to the power plant. She is thrown from her seat by Freddy and awakens, on the floor of the bus, much to the confusion of everybody else around her.
Malcolm at school having studied for an exam takes a power nap in the library dreams of hearing Freddy's maniacal laugh over the intercom as he is ignored by the librarian and other surrounding students, suddenly the roof which is floods of blood in reverse gravity falls upon causing him to awaken. As Carver heads home after work at the accounting office he comes across on Elm Street former elementary school friend and seriously sleep deprived, Devlin who mentions Freddy has surfaced again and that they will be the first to go unless they come together. Devlin is hit by a car after Carver leaves him and while unconscious is run over by Freddy, causing him to succumb to his wounds in reality.
Abby arriving at school is informed by Penelope and Malcolm of what they saw, Malcolm enraged. Peta dismisses her morning nightmare. Penelope joins Abby that night for a sleepover after the two burn the box of Fred Krueger article contents. Julia has a nightmare that night of her ex fiance attacking her, who suddenly becomes Freddy and murders Abby in the dream. She checks on her and Penelope to find them fine and asleep. A drug high ex-fiance Pete then appears in the hallway.
3. Sweet Dreams: Written by Marti Noxon Directed by Miles Millar[]
Carver becomes questioned by Sheriff Beaker on Devlon's death. Julia deals with Pete who flees after getting somewhat physical as Abby calls the police. Penelope in a waking nightmare has Freddy enter the room and pull out her hair, resulting in the same amount of hair missing in reality.
Carver after being cleared offers his help to Julia and Abby, learning about Abby burning the package. Penelope demands answers from her parents on Fred Krueger. Peta is forced into a Sugar Ball fundraiser for the school in order to detract from her poor, sleep deprivation induced performance in P.E.
Finn mentions a weird police questioning of his parents at home and their insistence that a man named Fred Krueger never existed in Springwood. Malcolm discovers that Callum is having the same strange nightmares of Freddy. Peta discovers she has the ability to pull others into her dreams like former Freddy victim Kristen Parker, doing so with school rival Louise after falling asleep in gym. Louise is killed by Freddy who causes her to accidentally hang for a moment from climbing ropes. She dies after being rushed to hospital.
Anaphylactic student Darrien is killed after falling asleep in class the next day as Freddy induces anaphylactic shock in Darren who has a severe allergy to glucose, having him accidentally injest candy in place of his almonds. With this Springwood closes down school for the week. Pete begins a drive by throwing of a brick at the Lodsons' as Carver witnesses Ellen and Laura do the jump rope Freddy song. At the hospital where Louise is classified dead a distraught Peta breaks free from her parents to discover an unseen patient in the next room, hearing they are a student from Springwood.
4. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes: Written and directed by Michael Dougherty[]
Penelope researches into dream suppressant medication, coming across the still FDA unauthorised treatment of Hypnocil. She makes an eBay order which proves a con, and her transactions monitored by her controlling mother are noticed. Penelope goes about regular class day keeping awake at all costs, eventually going through Nurse Nadine's sick bay quarters and discovering two unopened bottles of Hypnocil.
Penelope takes two tablets within the first hour and still as a micro nap encounter with Fred winding up in the boiler with maggots that he cuts from his chest that pour all over her, some winding up on her clothes and bag in reality, Freddy taunts before she awakens how he is going to kill her and she cannot stop him, now that he's out he has all the time in the world to take her.
Penelope shares a kiss with Malcolm coming across him drunk at home, in a moment of closing her eyes he becomes a maggot, infested, eyeless corpse and then Freddy laughing prompting her to take another two hypnocil. After the day's close Penelope ingests a lot of coffee after a brief argument and conversation with her mother. Penelope after experiencing pain in her chest in her bedroom, then finds herself in an empty hospital room, she ventures out into the corridor and encounters her maggot riddled corpse self before Freddy appears behind her.
Penelope rushes back to the hospital room and barricades herself inside now finding Peta, Abby, Julia, Malcolm and her parents around herself in bed. Her parents disappear and the door rips open as Freddy enters with Peta, Abby, Julia and Malcolm appearing as maggot ridden eyeless corpses.
Freddy reuses the line All in the time in the world as he reaches with his glove into Penelope's chest and pulls her bloody, still beating heart from her bed self and presents it to her, then crushing it in his glove laughing. In reality Penelope flatlines due to cardiac arrest.
5. A Dream Idea: Written by Jonathan Craven & Cathy Konrad Directed by Cathy Konrad[]
Following Penelope's death the group tries to plan stopping Freddy, staying by each other, researching into Krueger and trying to round up the other denizens who could be at danger of Freddy accessing them. Peta relays bringing Louise into her dream which got her killed by Freddy. Carver reveals his connection to Freddy, Julia unable to process everything going on along with the Pete situation takes a moment with a cigarette, and in a moment of closing her eyes for second shuts down into a micro nap herself due to her sleep deprivation.
Freddy appears in human form and after reigniting her cigarette offers her a deal, he will spare the others and herself if she allows him to take control and kills Pete.
He threatens otherwise the slow death of Abby and after demonstrating her death again in the dream she accepts, he then becomes his burnt visage and possesses Julia.
Malcolm brings in Callum to the others and Abby brings in Finn who has heard of Penelope's death, along with Louise's, telling her of classmate Darrien's, bringing Darrien's best friend Jonah with him who claims to be dreaming now too of Freddy. Carver is brought in by Sheriff Beaker framed in Nadine's arson case, his two daughters then collected by the system.
Unable to locate Julia the remainder of the day the group come down to the precinct. Julia tracks down Pete at a seedy Springwood Motel and suddenly protruding finger blades immobilises him with a slash to the knees, beating his head in.
Abby and the others help Carver escape his holding cell and he using Abby's car outside flees to collect his daughters who are en route home to collect their things.
There he intercepts them and discovers by text from Malcolm of Callum's computer hack Hawthorn Pharmacy in Akron stocks the nearest behind the counter supply of Hypnocil for them. Before Carver can depart he sees Julia next door and coming over to the blood covered Julia has her confess to allowing Freddy in and murdering Pete. A struggle ensues between the two and Julia is ultimately rendered unconscious.
Freddy in Julia's dream appears as a head bashed Pete who flames into Freddy causing the house to catch fire, Julia becomes backed against her upper bedroom floor window and is thrown through to her death. Carver escapes to his daughters next door running out and driving away as the house is engulfed in flames.
6. Don't Dream, It's Over: Written and directed by Eli Roth[]
Three months on and Carver has disappeared with both his daughter's to Arizona, hiding with his homemaker cousin Londell. The others back in Springwood are on a regulated dosage of Hypnocil to avoid their bodies shutting down into comatose like Penelope. Abby is staying with Peta and the deaths of Nadine, Julia, Pete and Devlin are blamed on Carver.
Abby prepares to move in with her Aunt in Portland, Oregon Tricia from her disconnected father's side, devastated by the loss of Julia. She contemplates suicide but is stopped by Peta who discovers her. Springwood High's senior prom approaches and Peta sets to organise with Abby, the prom their goodbye night for Abby.
Abby however prior to the prom's beginning goes off Hypnocil and confronts Freddy, unafraid he finds himself unable to do her harm and instead is attacked by him until she awakens, having pulled Freddy into the real world. Elsewhere Carver saying a brief goodbye to his daughters leaves them with Londell after discovering Amy's death was a result of Freddy, and he must return to save them, discarding his hypnocil upon driving into Springwood.
Callum is killed by Freddy at the school as the pulled out Freddy, with a minimal portion of his dreamscape abilities appears in the computer classroom and floods the floor, electrocuting him with cut computer wires.
Carver is caught by Sheriff Beaker outside the school and is hit with a fireball projected by Freddy, burning and injuring him. Sheriff Beaker fires at Freddy misses his bullets, who dispels a finger blade into the barrel of his revolver, causing a misfire to pierce his neck. Freddy then uses his gun and fires various shots into Beaker's chest and face.
Inside Freddy comes across Peta and after stabbing and injuring Malcolm kills Peta by immolating her prom banner tied to her, resulting in her back burning. As Malcolm screams on Abby appears and advances Freddy. She gains the upper hand and tries to escort the bleeding Malcolm out, the two ultimately being led to the auditorium and back into the prom.
Freddy appears and slaughters half of the guests, stabbing Principal Latherty in the head, breaking Miss Coyle's neck, P.E. teacher Mr. Rollins back in a hold and then slashing student body president Percy's chest. Freddy slashes at various students and staff, dispelling shooting finger blades, causing a floor electrocution, an auditorium roof collapse and fire.
Malcolm discovers he has inherited Peta's dream ability of pulling someone in, pulling Freddy back into his dream of the auditorium after slipping into blood loss induced unconsciousness. He is killed by Freddy who rips his wound further open. The police, paramedics and fire department arrive as the rest of the seniors and staff escape outside along with a distressed Abby who finds at the rear exit Carver still alive.
She tells Carver she is sorry and that Malcolm pulled Freddy back into the dreamscape. Carver claims that what has happened will always bring Freddy back unless they kill him. He tells her he has an idea and is administered anaesthesia as the paramedics take him and Abby. In the dream Carver sees at his house a still alive Amy with the girls. Amy is then as nightfalls falling asleep working at the kitchen table killed by Freddy, who causes her to suffocate with his glove. Next door the Lodson's catches fire again and all the victims appear as maggot ridden corpses with Freddy absorbing their souls, showing his soul chest. Carver musters all his courage and is unable to be struck by Freddy. Carver immolates Freddy and catching fire again himself begins to awaken. He is extinguished as the ambulance crashes into a nearby lake. All inside the ambulance survive including Carver.
Six months onward a now burned Carver is cleared of his charges following Beaker's proclamation before his death. Carver is resting in the passenger seat of Londell's car after they drop off Ellen and Laura at their school. Heading to the doctor's a car almost hits them, that Carver recognises as the Freddy schemed vehicle that killed Devlin. In Portland at her aunt's radio station after her first college day Abby hears the jumprope song playing through the recording machines.