Synopsis
A psychiatrist, familiar with the knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger, helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.
Scores
Overall Score
87.1
Popularity Percentile (Year)
94.6%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
88.5%
Review Aggregate
67.8
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 67% of 52 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize dark, macabre, funny. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
darkmacabrefunnyscarysuspensefulstylizedcharacter-driven
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Langenkamp | 1987 | $195,000 | $539,000 | (est) |
| Patricia Arquette | 1987 | $120,000 | $332,000 | (est) |
| Larry Fishburne | 1987 | $90,000 | $250,000 | (est) |
| Priscilla Pointer | 1987 | $74,000 | $204,000 | (est) |
| Craig Wasson | 1987 | $63,000 | $175,000 | (est) |
| John Saxon | 1987 | $56,000 | $154,000 | (est) |
| Dick Cavett | 1987 | $50,000 | $138,000 | (est) |
| Zsa Zsa Gabor | 1987 | $46,000 | $126,000 | (est) |
| Robert Englund | 1987 | $42,000 | $116,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score68.0
RT critic review count63
Rotten Tomatoes audience score68.0
RT audience rating count250,000
IMDb rating6.7
IMDb votes96,557
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1987 | $44,793,224 | $123,693,960 |
| International | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1987 | $44,793,224 | $123,693,960 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1987 | $22,396,612 | $61,846,980 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1987 | $32,818,000 | $90,625,055 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1987 | $15,309,000 | $42,274,939 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1987 | $11,198,306 | $30,923,490 |
| Total Revenues | 1987 | $81,721,918 | $225,670,464 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1987 | $4,600,000 | $12,702,640 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1987 | $5,750,000 (est) | $15,878,300 (est) |
| Participations | 1987 | $6,538,000 | $18,054,318 |
| Residuals ? | 1987 | $4,090,000 | $11,294,304 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1987 | $920,000 | $2,540,528 |
| Total Expenses | 1987 | $21,898,000 | $60,470,091 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1987 | $59,823,918 | $165,200,373 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | New Nightmare | 1994 | Shared franchise (1) | 75.6 | $53,697,357 |
 | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | 1991 | Shared franchise (1) | 73.9 | $64,916,024 |
 | A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child | 1989 | Shared franchise (1) | 72.9 | $47,714,270 |
 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | 1984 | Shared franchise (1) | 86.5 | $33,675,384 |
 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | 1988 | Shared franchise (1) | 83.4 | $65,062,425 |