Shocker

The first time I saw Wes Craven’s Shocker, I hated it, thinking it too transparent and cynical of an attempt to replicate Freddy Krueger. I went into it expecting a hardcore, intense thriller but saw a tonally inconsistent movie that couldn't decide what it wanted to be about.

Still, Shocker is a movie I've thought about many times, and I remembered some of its sequences and visuals fondly. After Craven's passing, I revisited the film. While some flaws remain, Shocker has enough inspiration to make it worth checking out. Rather than a serious horror movie, it works best as a zany, violent satire.