Horror film buffs are very clear about what we expect. We don't expect Academy-Award acting or intricate plotting. So when a movie like American Nightmare comes along that gives us much more than we were expecting, we are very pleasantly surprized. Traditionally, Slasher films give us characters that are one-dimensional and only there to be killed off. "American Nightmare" breaks this taboo by giving us several likeable characters that we actually care about, making it that much scarier when they come face to face with the maniacal Jane (played wonderfully by Debbie Rochon). In addition, the actors all give 110% in their performances. Brandy Little is so believable, it's shocking to me that I haven't seen her somewhere else. As good as Debbie and Brandy are, my favorite performance has to be from Heather Haase as Melanie. My only major qualm is that some of the actors weren't given as much on-screen time as I would have liked. The movie is very masterfully plotted and directed. My only complaint is that there were too many times Jane should have been captured, yet no one pursued her. Also, I didn't much care for the very end, as it seemed rather illogical, almost as if it was just thrown in for shock value. Still, after providing me with 90 minutes of solid entertainment, I can't complain too much about the weak 30-second ending...
Review of American Nightmare
