We’ll call it: A Nightmare On Elm Street is the most iconic horror film of all time. We’re confident in that opinion for two reasons. One, everyone not only recognises Freddie Kreuger; they’re terrified of him. Two, there’s been no other character that has infiltrated popular culture as much as the dream killer. Fans can find references to the movie everywhere. There is an ocean of A Nightmare On Elm Street-related material for horror buffs to dive into. They can hear references to him in songs; they can see him in other movies; indeed, they can even find him in slot games using deals from platforms like oddschecker. He’s been referenced, parodied, and mimicked in popular culture almost since the beginning of the franchise.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at all the places you’ll see Freddie Krueger. Hint: you won’t need to look very far!
Video Games
Let’s begin with video games. The horror franchise seems to be a perfect fit for this industry, so it’s little surprise that Krueger pops up time and time again.
Although there are no specific A Nightmare On Elm Street video games, as we mentioned above, there is a slot game. The character also appears as a special guest in a host of other titles. There are a bunch of references to Freddie in Call of Duty: Black Ops (plus, the actor Robert Englund features as a playable character). You can also play as Freddie in the survival horror game Dead By Daylight, and in Mortal Kombat 9 and MK Mobile.
Television Shows
A Nightmare On Elm Street has also proven to be a big source of inspiration for TV writers. Fans of The Simpsons may recall the Treehouse of Horror episode that features Groundskeeper Willie stalking the dreams of Springfield’s youth. The episode pretty much follows the exact plot of the movie, just with a bit more of a satirical bite.
There’s a similar scene in Rick and Morty, though this one offers a bit of a twist — rather than running away from the serial killer, the two title characters help Freddie work through the inner demons that prompt him to go on killing sprees.
There are dozens of other references we could have mentioned. Take a look back at some of the most popular TV shows from the 90s and 00s, and you’ll likely stumble upon Freddy Krueger.
Movies
A Nightmare On Elm Street was a hugely influential movie, especially in the horror genre. As such, you can find a whole host of references embedded in other movies of the same type.
Some of these are subtle, such as in the 2017 version of It, which features a movie poster for A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. There’s a more direct reference in Scream, which features a janitor that wears clothes like Krueger, and, yep, his name is Fred. That reference comes because the director, Wes Craven, was also the brainchild behind A Nightmare On Elm Street, and made his cameo in Scream as a nod to that character.
Music
It makes sense that Freddie would turn up on movies, TV, and video games, but music? That’s a medium that doesn’t usually mix too well with horror. But if there was one movie character that could infiltrate the melodic world, it was Freddie Krueger — if he can get in dreams, he can get in a song, amiright?!
At least three household names have included references to the character in their songs: Eminem, Will Smith, and Weird Al Yankovic. In fact, Will Smith’s song was a full-on tribute (it’s called A Nightmare On My Street) that even features a special guest vocal performance from Freddie Krueger himself.
Changing the Cinema World Forever
Nightmare On Elm Street is nearly forty years old, yet the story — and the main character — continue to have a significant impact on popular culture. And with a new Krueger movie on the way, his influence looks likely to continue into the future.