Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
Nightmare on Elm Street 2—which came out just a year after the original—plays fast and loose with Freddy Krueger’s powers, allowing the dream-bound killer to slip into the “real world” in a tweak the series would not revisit until 1994’s meta-slasher Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. This formerly under-appreciated sequel sets itself apart with its queer subtext which was apparently mostly unintentional on the part of the filmmakers. But now, it’s plainly obvious and the main reason why fans of the series have come to celebrate it as a landmark in slasher cinema. Also definitely worth a watch, if you haven’t already, is the 2019 documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, which explores the film’s complicated legacy through the eyes of lead actor Mark Patton.
