A Nightmare on Elm Street is a film.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven , and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise . Critics today praise the film 's ability to transgress `` the boundaries between the imaginary and real '' , toying with audience perceptions . A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 film) . Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes produced the film for New Line Cinema , as an intention to reboot the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise , with the cast of Jackie Earle Haley , Kyle Gallner , Rooney Mara , Katie Cassidy , Thomas Dekker and Kellan Lutz . It received mainly negative reviews from critics and grossed $ 115 million against a production budget of $ 35 million , making it the highest-grossing film in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise .