A Nightmare on Elmstreet 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
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A group of patients and their therapist must enter a shared dream to stop the nightmare entity Freddy Krueger.
The story
Kristen Parker, a patient at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, is haunted by the nightmare entity Freddy Krueger. Her mother admits her to the facility, where she is cared for by Dr. Neil Gordon. Kristen is joined by other patients, including Nancy Thompson, a former survivor of Freddy's attacks who is now a therapist. When Freddy attacks Kristen in a dream, she pulls Nancy into her dream world. The group of survivors, known as the 'Dream Warriors,' must navigate the dreamscape to confront the threat and protect the other patients from the malevolent force.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Kristen Parker is admitted to Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital after a dream involving Freddy Krueger leads her mother to believe she is suicidal. There, she meets Nancy Thompson, a therapist who survived Freddy's attacks years prior. When Freddy attacks Kristen in a dream, she pulls Nancy into the dream world. The group of patients, the 'Dream Warriors,' use group hypnosis to enter a shared dream to find a way to stop Freddy. They learn from a nun that Freddy's power is tied to his mother's remains. During a final confrontation in a dream, several members are killed by Freddy, but the group manages to rescue a child. In the real world, Nancy and Dr. Neil Gordon locate the bones of Freddy's mother. During a final confrontation, Nancy is fatally wounded while stabbing Freddy with his own glove. Neil purifies the bones, seemingly destroying Freddy. However, in the final scene, Kristen's house lights up, suggesting Freddy may not be fully defeated.
- First release year
- 1987
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chuck Russell
- Writers
- Wes Craven · screenplay; Bruce Wagner · screenplay; Frank Darabont · screenplay; Chuck Russell · screenplay; Wes Craven · story; Bruce Wagner · story
- Cast and characters
- Heather Langenkamp · Nancy Thompson; Patricia Arquette · Kristen Parker; Laurence Fishburne · not specified; Priscilla Pointer · not specified; Craig Wasson · not specified; John Saxon · not specified; Dick Cavett · not specified; Zsa Zsa Gabor · not specified; Robert Englund · Freddy Krueger
- Genres
- fantasy; slasher
- Themes
- survival; shared consciousness; trauma
- Tone and mood
- horror; dark humor
- Premise and plot tags
- slasher; supernatural; dream_exploration
- Franchise connections
- Nightmare on Elm Street
- Content notes
- drug references
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, who considered it to be one of the best films in the series, though some noted the difficulty in distinguishing between intended and unintended humor.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · scale: percentage · review count: 65; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 11
- Awards and nominations
- Special Mention · Critics Awards · won
- Production trivia
- The film was banned in the state of Queensland, Australia, due to drug references.; The line 'welcome to prime time, bitch' was ad-libbed by Robert Englund.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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