A Nightmare on Elm Street is a little different from other slasher movies. Compared to Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) or Michael Myers (Halloween), Freddy Krueger has a much lower kill count. Instead of hacking and slashing everyone in sight, Freddy is much more sadistic, choosing his victims and haunting them before killing them in wildly elaborate ways. That maniacal behavior, combined with Freddy’s trademark personality, is what makes him a (dare I say) likable killer.
Check out our guide below to find out where to watch every Nightmare on Elm Street movie in order streaming online in the United States.
The good news is that the Nightmare franchise’s chronological and release date orders are the same. Here’s how it looks:
A Nightmare on Elm Street Movies in Order
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1986)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)
- Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
- Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
- Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
A Nightmare on Elm Street Movies in Chronological Order
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The original movie introduced the world to Freddy Krueger. The child rapist and murderer is killed by the local community and as he dies, he vows to take revenge by killing their children…in their dreams. This is also the film that has the iconic Johnny Depp death scene where he’s sucked into the bed.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
Initially, this sequel was panned upon its release, but in recent decades the film has seen a newfound appreciation, especially in the LGBTQ community. The movie’s screenwriter, director, and star were all gay and the movie was absolutely LOADED with homoeroticism. Freddy’s Revenge eventually got an award-winning documentary made about its queer undertones called Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Centered on a group of teens in a psychiatric hospital, Dream Warriors saw some of the wildest kills in the Nightmare franchise – it’s also a fan-favorite. From Freddy turning into a giant, intestine-looking snake and eating a girl to Freddy popping out of a TV and delivering the iconic line “Welcome to prime time, bitch” before shoving a girl into the television, Dream Warriors is a wild must-watch.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Dream Master continues the story of the survivors from Part 3, now released from the institution and living normal lives. Naturally, Freddy returns once again to finish the job. The movie received a few mixed reviews, but was relatively well-received.
A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
In The Dream Child, it’s alluded that Freddy wants to come back by being reincarnated as the child of one of his victims. While the movie had some wild and brutal kills, the film was ultimately a dud with many thinking the franchise had jumped the shark.
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
Released in 1991, The Final Nightmare technically takes place in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. It was also supposed to be the conclusion of the franchise…but the movie is weird and sloppy, and is considered one of the worst in the franchise.
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
With The Final Nightmare officially ending the franchise, Craven found a unique way to bring back Freddy. New Nightmare is an ultra-meta movie that stars Heather Langenkamp (the star of the original movie)… who plays herself. Known as “the actress from A Nightmare on Elm Street”, Heather navigates life as an actress and a Scream Queen. But everything changes one night when she starts having nightmares about Freddy and he comes into the real world.
Freddy vs. Jason
In 2003, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees duked it out in an epic battle. Even cooler, the movie references Freddy’s past kills, officially putting it in the chronological timeline. In the film, Freddy has lost his power since his death in The Final Nightmare, so he resurrects Jason to cause chaos, hoping to feed on the fear and gain enough energy to re-emerge.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
This movie was a reboot and hoped to relaunch the Nightmare franchise… but trying to remake a movie that’s already a classic isn’t easy (as this film learned the hard way). With terrible reviews and a very “meh” box office performance, this remains the last Nightmare movie released to date.
Where Can I Watch A Nightmare On Elm Street Movies Online?
Check out our guide below to find out where all the Nightmare on Elm Street movies are streaming online.
