A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

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While 'Freddy's Revenge' has a place in the series, it's my humble opinion that if there was ever a true sequel to 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' it's absolutely 'Dream Warriors.' It's hands down my favourite of the series (aside from the original) for many reasons. In fact, I'd consider it the other quintessential Freddy flick of the franchise. To put it plainly, this is where the franchise transforms into a mainstream attraction and starts to get really fun while maintaining a solid sense of horror.

We have a few legends behind the wheel to thank, starting with the original creator, Wes Craven, coming in to do some writing. Wes is joined here by Bruce Wagner and Frank Darabont, who we all now associate with his work on 'The Walking Dead' and many other now-famous titles. This would all be capped off with co-writer and director Chuck Russel, who would go on to direct 1987's 'The Blob,' but perhaps most famously, 'The Mask'; a Jim Carrey fan favourite. That balance of horror, comedy and drama negotiated between these four filmmakers comes through here. Despite apparent high tensions on the set, the final product became the best 'Elm Street' could get.

This was essentially the beginning of the pop culture icon Freddy became, and much closer to the Freddy one would imagine as an outsider. This was the first time Freddy really got into the one-liners; the first time the dreams were really given a much more surreal atmosphere; the first time we see Freddy's ability to shapeshift; the first time group dreaming was implemented in the series (long before 'Inception'); the first time a metal band did a specific theme for an 'Elm Street' film (and 'Dream Warriors' remains a personal favourite, despite how cheesy it may come across). The list goes on.

For yours truly, I also see this as the best story of the original six. Much of that concerns the idea that it uniquely tackles mental health. The movie's brilliance illustrates just how scary a place like a psychiatric hospital can be and how scary a place like your own mind can be. It tackles a few serious things here with Freddy's dark sense of humour while still maintaining that they're issues not to be taken lightly. That's hard to do, but the film makes it work. Freddy uses the mental health of these kids to his advantage, and that's a terrifying thought, but keep in mind that it's called 'Dream Warriors' for a reason.

It all starts with the nightmares of Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette), who builds a model of Nancy Thompson's now iconic house (that house would become a character just as popular as Freddy himself) in her spare time. One horrible night, as Freddy (Robert Englund) manipulates her dreams, he leads Kristen to her bathroom, where an incident has her sent to Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Here, Kristen meets several other kids who seemingly share the same bad nightmares featuring the same creepy guy. While they all maintain that the next time they sleep could be their last, the doctors and nurses maintain that their nightmares are much deeper than some burnt-faced slasher trying to off them all one by one.

Enter Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), who comes to save the day, so to speak, as she has spent the last few years earning an education to become a therapist and dream researcher. Nancy immediately realizes that the kids dream of Freddy, her old nemesis, back to pick up where he left off. Through Kristen, however, Nancy discovers that the group can use dream powers to help them fight against the dream demon. That's where the movie really shines. For as dark and potentially triggering as some of this stuff could be, the importance of it is that it reminds those who suffer that they're not alone and not helpless.

I've always found this concept effective in fuelling Freddy's methods. It really shows how he can get deep inside your head and truly use fear against his victims, especially since here, their individual fears are largely shown to be what placed them in the hospital in the first place. As a horror concept, that is terrifying. But I also love how the film makes a small army from these kids, each with a dream superpower. While 'Dream Warriors' may be a cheesy title to get through, it's cheesy in all the right ways and well-balanced with some truly frightening sequences. Hands down, this is one of my all-time favourite horror movies, let alone 'Elm Street' movies.

5/5

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