10 Least Terrifying Villains In Horror Movie History
7. Freddy Krueger - A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
The first of several remakes on this list, and one that was extremely disappointing. While many children of the 80s have the image of the truly terrifying Freddy engrained in their dreams, the same could not be said for children of the 2010s who suffered through this film.
Jackie Earle Haley's portrayal of Freddy in the 2010 version never feels menacing but always feels creepy, making the film an uncomfortable watch for all the wrong reasons. The new reveal that Krueger is a paedophile kills any fun one may have hoped for, drawing the film away from the ghoulish delights found in Robert Englund's original take on the role.
What made the original Freddy Krueger so intimidating and just plain terrifying was that there was so little known about him, a mysterious man who turned your dreams into a living hell. There was some background exposition that let us know he wasn't the nicest bloke when he was alive, but it was his presence as a demonic like entity that kept the viewer watching so they didn't fall asleep.
Haley's portrayal failed because it was too life like, and rather than terrifying us just made us feel sad for his numerous victims and the state of the world in general.