▁on ▁the ▁third ▁and ▁the ▁fourth ▁week ends , ▁respectively . ▁Over all , ▁the ▁film ▁ ▁gross ed ▁$ 2 2 . 1 ▁million ▁at ▁U . S . ▁box ▁office . ▁▁ ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁the ▁highest ▁gross ing ▁slash er ▁film ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁It ▁is ▁currently ▁the ▁second - low est - g ross ing ▁Night m are ▁on ▁El m ▁Street ▁film . ▁The ▁film ▁ranked ▁number ▁forty - three ▁of ▁the ▁Top ▁fifty ▁highest - g ross ing ▁films ▁released ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁is ▁thirty - se vent h ▁of ▁all ▁slash er ▁films ▁catalog ed ▁by ▁Box ▁Office ▁Mo jo . ▁▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁V HS ▁and ▁Las erd isc ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁The ▁review ▁aggreg ator ▁website ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes ▁reports ▁a ▁ 3 2 % ▁appro val ▁rating ▁and ▁an ▁average ▁rating ▁of ▁ 4 . 2 / 1 0 ▁based ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁reviews . ▁The ▁site ' s ▁cons ensus ▁is : ▁A ▁Night m are ▁on ▁El m ▁Street ▁feels ▁exha usted ▁by ▁this ▁che es y ▁fifth ▁entry , ▁bog ged ▁down ▁by ▁a ▁con vol uted ▁myth ology ▁while ▁showing ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁ch illing ▁technique ▁that ▁k icked ▁off ▁the ▁franch ise . ▁On ▁Met ac rit ic ▁the ▁film ▁has ▁a ▁weight ed ▁average ▁score ▁of