Welcome, everyone, to Horrorfest 2020, our annual event where I, Red Lanyard, tell you about terrific (and sometimes absurd) horror movies during the month of October to help you prepare for Halloween, the most wonderful time of the year. This year for Horrorfest, I’m structuring my pieces around various icons of horror–the people, either real or fictional, who have made our beloved genre the delightful niche and multi-million dollar industry that it is today. This first week, I’ll be highlighting some of the fictional antagonists who have carried the horror genre on their backs, briefly discussing what they’ve contributed to our macabre hobby and a recommendation for you to watch. Enjoy!
Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street)
When you ask someone to name a horror antagonist, chances are many will say Freddy regardless of whether they’ve seen the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise or not. This is the cultural impact the man with the hat and finger-knives has had since his premiere in 1984. Krueger stands out among horror icons for two reasons: the new sinister take on horror that he offers, and the uniqueness of his character.
Prior to Freddy, most horror icons terrorized their victims in (semi-reasonably) grounded ways: if you got killed by a slasher, it was either your own fault, like in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (damn those property-stomping kids) or Hellraiser (sexy puzzle box time is never worth it); some kind of tie to the killer, such as in Halloween; or an unfortunate case of being in their way, such as Friday the 13th. Nightmare on Elm Street changed these rules by giving us a new breed of antagonist in Freddy, a killer who enjoys his craft and goes after anyone in their most vulnerable state: being asleep. This loss of security gave Freddy a more sinister edge over many horror antagonists, and the dread associated with both knowing you’ll inevitably fall asleep and never quite knowing if you are asleep or awake makes his first and serial appearances a standout.
However, I’d be remiss in my discussion of Freddy Krueger if I didn’t include his unique personality. After years of mostly silent horror antagonists, Freddy stormed center stage with a brilliantly disgusting performance from Robert Englund. Freddy’s ability to torment his victims with verbal teasing and shocking displays of gore set him apart from his peers. Instead of the silent stalker audiences were used to, Freddy’s enthusiasm gave us all a whole new reason to hate and fear him as he violated our dreams, and while this quality has been a bit Flanderized over the years, it remains a unique quality of the Nightmare franchise and helps everyone’s favorite child murderer stay fresh in our minds.
The original Nightmare on Elm Street is a great ride even for non-horror fans. It’s absolutely drenched in 80s vibes, and it’s fun seeing a young Johnny Depp face down the true villain of the movie: teenage puberty. Nancy is also the most innovative and ingenuitive survivor girl out there, and Robet Englund’s performance is simply perfect. It’s available to rent on Amazon Prime for 2.99.
