10 Terrifying Horror Movies Set In Asylums

5. A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

A Cure For Wellness (2016)
New Line Cinema

In his third big screen massacre, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) sets his murderous sights on a group of teenage patients at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital in Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

The third instalment in this classic slasher series follows Kristen (Patricia Arquette), who’s sent to the hospital after supposedly attempting suicide despite the wounds on her wrist being inflicted by Freddy. It’s at this hospital where Kristen meets one of Freddy’s former victims turned therapist Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp).

Together, alongside the other teens on the ward, the group learns to take control of their dreams so that they can defend themselves against their night-time killer.

When it comes to the Elm Street series you don’t get much better than Dream Warriors. It strikes the perfect balance of genuine horror and the campy fun which later entries doubled down on, and all whilst building on Freddy’s lore to help cement him as one of the genre greats.

Though Dream Warriors isn't as conventionally terrifying as some of the other entries on this list, let’s not forget the collection of creatively gruesome kills that populate this flick, with the nauseating “puppet” scene being just one example.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.