The late, great Wes Craven created the antithesis of the proverbial Sandman in 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. He asked the question: What happens if you fall asleep and all hell breaks loose?
Thus, the jumper-wearing, metal claw-slashing murderer known as Freddy Krueger was born, ready to terrify teenagers and turn their every snooze into a nightmare. To borrow from Metallica, the only way to defeat this dream demon would be to “sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight.”
A television anthology series, a million sequels, and a failed reboot later, Freddy continues to be a card-carrying member of the horror movie monster hall of fame, even if he hasn’t appeared on screen for nearly 15 years. But what makes him stand out in a genre that possesses so many iconic characters and memorable bad guys?
The dream demon concept terrifies more than anything else
What’s the best way to avoid the likes of Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers? Easy – don’t go into the woods or leave doors and windows open. They are killers who succeed thanks to the sheer stupidity of society and the lack of awareness. In Freddy Krueger’s case, there’s no real way to avoid him. After all, everyone needs to sleep at some point, so there’s no place to run or hide. Moreover, if someone deprives themself of sleep, they only make the body weaker and become slim pickings for Freddy.
There’s also something to be said about a killer who attacks when someone sleeps. As per BrainFacts.org, the sensory and emotional parts of the brain run full steam ahead while dreaming, but the ability to reason and rationalize dissipates. This is why people often feel paralyzed by visceral nightmares and can’t say to themselves: This is just a bad dream.
Unlike other slashers, Freddy bides his time and waits for people to be in their most vulnerable state before he strikes. Since he operates in the dream world, he’s able to use mind-bending powers to orchestrate his kills. Sure, other horror movie monsters possess somewhat supernatural abilities to teleport from one place to another in record time and never die, but Freddy’s tactics elevate him to a higher level of terror.
Freddy Krueger has unmatched charisma
Look, Freddy Krueger remains a despicable character in A Nightmare on Elm Street and cinema as a whole. He’s a child killer who was dealt with by the parents of Springwood, then he comes back as a malevolent entity seeking revenge. He kills without remorse and isn’t a role model by any means. That said, nobody can deny his charisma.
Actor Robert Englund pumps a showmanship into Freddy that isn’t often found in other horror movie monsters. Neither Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers say much or do anything beyond lugging their humongous selves from one place to the other, looking for their next victims. In comparison, Freddy loves to talk and announce his arrival. He toys with his victims, cracking situational jokes and never missing the opportunity to use a pun.
Looking back, a few of Freddy’s most memorable scenes appear to be heavily influenced by Tex Avery cartoons – albeit with a darker and more sinister sense of humor. For example: When Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) answers the unplugged phone in A Nightmare on Elm Street, she hears Freddy’s voice as he tells her, “I’m your boyfriend now, Nancy,” and the bottom half of the phone morphs into Freddy’s face as his tongue reaches for her lips. It’s a spine-chilling scene, but it wouldn’t feel out of place in a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon.
A Nightmare on Elm Street can’t be replicated
The slasher genre doesn’t often boast a lot of novelty. In essence, the premise is always the same: Some deranged individual wants to kill others. The only thing that differs is the motivation or methods. A Nightmare on Elm Street flipped the genre on its head with the introduction of a killer who attacks people in their sleep. While most might look at the supernatural element as the main differentiator, it’s all to do with Freddy Krueger here.
There have been attempts to copy the formula. Take Robert Kurtzman’s Wishmaster, which also features Robert Englund, for instance. The bad guy isn’t a dream demon, but an evil djinn played by Andrew Divoff. The 1997 film received a few sequels, but can it honestly be considered on the same level as A Nightmare on Elm Street? Not a chance, mostly because the villain lacks the charm and menace of Freddy.
Out of all his contemporaries, the dream demon established himself as the most original and coolest horror movie monster of all time in A Nightmare on Elm Street. (Heck, even in Freddy vs. Jason, there shouldn’t be a single person cheering for Jason Voorhees in that crossover film, because Freddy rules and Jason drools.) It’s been 40 years since his debut and no one has managed to outshine him or even buff his metal claws in that period. Considering how peacefully the audience has slept since Freddy last appeared, it’s long overdue for the Springwood Slasher to return and remind everyone that every town has an Elm Street.
