Every Nightmare On Elm Street Film Ranked Worst To Best

Having been on the cards since the late 1980s, it remains surprising that it took until 2003 for the Nightmare on Elm Street/Friday the 13th crossover movie to finally happen, by which time it had been nine years since Robert Englund had last played Freddy. Happily, the showdown between the slasher supremos from director Ronny Yu proved well worth the wait - even if everything going on around the big fight left a bit to be desired.

Given the lengthy gap between the final entries in either series (although Jason had been back more recently in 2001's quirky sci-fi slasher Jason X), Freddy Vs Jason had to serve as a semi-reboot, reintroducing both characters and their lore for a new generation.

All told, it feels more like a Nightmare movie than a Friday the 13th, given the bulk of the action takes place in Freddy's old stomping ground Springwood; even so, Freddy only gets one bona fide kill in the film, by contrast with the 20+ clocked up by Jason.

Plenty of complaints can be made. The teenagers, who get way more screentime than the titular villains, are possibly the single least likeable ensemble of any film from either franchise, which is no mean feat; on top of which, the first two acts are way too heavy on exposition and extraneous subplots. Still, when the arterial spray hits the screen, Freddy Vs Jason really comes to life, and the gore-soaked final battle is a slasher fan's dream come true.