All 9 A Nightmare on Elm Street Movies in Order

An anthology series in which Freddy introduces various creepy stories, similar to Tales from the Crypt. Not every episode is about Freddy, but the show remains a cult favorite among fans.

Director: Wes Craven. Starring Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp and Johnny Depp in his film debut. Teenagers in the town of Springwood are stalked in their dreams by Freddy Krueger, a murderous demon with a terrifying bladed glove. With creative kills, shocking effects and an original twist on the slasher genre, it became an instant classic.

Director: Jack Sholder. Starring Mark Patton, Kim Myers and Robert Englund. Freddy returns and tries to possess young Jesse Walsh instead of killing victims in their dreams. Known for its strong homoerotic subtext, it's disliked by some fans but embraced by others as a queer horror icon.

Director: Chuck Russell. Starring Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette and Robert Englund. A group of teens in a psychiatric hospital fight back against Freddy by mastering their dreams and developing their own dream powers. With imaginative nightmares and iconic kills, including Freddy's famous 'Welcome to prime time, bitch!', it's considered one of the best sequels.

Director: Renny Harlin. Starring Lisa Wilcox and Robert Englund. Freddy returns stronger than ever, while new victims try to stop him with the power of their dreams. With fast action, bizarre dream sequences and a Freddy spouting more one-liners than ever, it's one of the most entertaining entries and was the franchise's biggest box office hit at the time.

Director: Stephen Hopkins. Starring Lisa Wilcox and Robert Englund. Freddy uses Alice's unborn child to return, hunting his victims with surreal nightmares. With dark gothic imagery and a strong visual concept, but less creative kills, it's a divisive sequel.

Director: Rachel Talalay. Starring Lisa Zane and Robert Englund. The last teenager in Springwood is hunted by Freddy, whose backstory and origins are finally revealed. The film contains more slapstick than horror, with bizarre scenes like Freddy in a video game and a 3D climax. Intended as the 'final' chapter, it was later followed by new films.

Director: Wes Craven. Starring Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund. This meta-horror film is set in the 'real world', where Freddy becomes a demonic entity hunting the cast and crew of the Nightmare films. A smart, self-aware horror film ahead of its time that paved the way for Scream.

Director: Ronny Yu. Starring Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger and Monica Keena. Freddy and Jason Voorhees face off in an epic horror duel while teenagers are caught between the two murderous icons. With brutal kills, humor and pure nostalgia, it became a big hit with horror fans.

Director: Samuel Bayer. Starring Jackie Earle Haley and Rooney Mara. A remake of the original with Jackie Earle Haley as a grimmer, more realistic Freddy. Despite nice visuals and strong actors, it was heavily criticized for lacking the tension and atmosphere that made the original so special.