10 Horror Movies That Pissed Off Audiences Straight Away
7. The Generic Opening Sequence - A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Like any remake of a classic, iconic horror film, 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street was always going to face an uphill struggle to convince audiences it was the real deal.
And so, it needed to come swinging out of the gate with an imaginative and unforgettable kill sequence which cemented the new Freddy (Jackie Earle Haley) as a true force to be reckoned with.
Sadly the remake opens with a glossy but atmosphere-devoid set-piece in which Dean Russell (Kellan Lutz) has his throat cut by Freddy in a dream, while in reality Dean cuts his own throat in a diner.
It's fittingly gory but totally lacking in creativity, and really sets the tone for a remake that, truly, lacks any fresh ideas of its own.
Compare this generic opening sequence to that of the 1984 original, which kicks off with Tina's (Amanda Wyss) moody nightmare, before introducing us to the likeable leads in an organic way.
It then builds up to Tina's iconic death scene - a scene that, while replicated later in the remake, isn't nearly as well-executed.
In the very least, Elm Street 2010 let fans know early on that they shouldn't expect much - beyond Haley's thanklessly committed performance - and maybe ensured they still had time to grab a refund.