[2] Nightmares in Red, White and Blue features interviews with such subjects as Larry Cohen, Joe Dante, John Carpenter, Darren Lynn Bousman, Mick Garris, Tom McLoughlin, and George A. Romero, and is narrated by Lance Henriksen.

Parallels are drawn between the charisma and actions of villain Freddy Krueger of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the commencement of the Iraq War, it is stated that remakes like 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and 2004's Dawn of the Dead began to present their monsters as faster and more sadistic than ever before.

[4] Dennis Harvey of Variety called the film a "comprehensive if uncritical overview of the U.S. horror genre", and notes that "while the focus is primarily on well-known titles and directors, the pic does take time to spotlight a few lesser-known gems, such as Bob Clark's Deathdream [...] and David Cronenberg's marvelous feature debut, Shivers, [...]; international horror, however, is just briefly touched on.

"[6] Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting later wrote of the film that, "for an introductory social and history lesson on horror's evolution, constructed in a highly entertaining manner and chock full of nostalgia, it's a well-rounded doc worth watching.