‘Behind the Monsters’ Recap: ‘Freddy Krueger’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Behind the Monsters’.
​
One would think that a silver screen villain that kills children with impunity, would be reviled by audiences. For children are innocent and sacred and harming them in cinema or books or on television has long been taboo. But believe it or not, there is a character that takes part in such a heinous act, that is indeed celebrated by the masses. In fact, shortly after Freddy Krueger hit the scene in 1984, he became nothing short of a pop-culture phenomenon. One that is instantly recognized after all these years and continues to be quoted and spoken of and well, that’s incredible. Incredible that such a disgusting monster won audiences over and that he’s become a fixture in pop-culture and how that came to be, served as the subject of this week’s episode of Behind the Monsters.
​
For ‘Freddy Krueger’ dives deep into Freddy’s wild history and why fans love him so and one big reason that we continue to praise his films and adore him as a monster… is because of the actor that plays him. For Robert Englund truly made the character his own and added a genuine depth and realism to him that no one was prepared for when A Nightmare on Elm Street came out. Which laid the foundation for Robert to really explore the psyche of this monster and what could make him appealing and fascinating to viewers and well what Robert assembled… worked. Because people still cheer when Freddy appears on the screen because Robert’s performance simply lights up the moment. But while his performance is indeed iconic, there is more that went into making this charred boogeyman so popular. 

Such as the fact that his origin story and his mythos… are ridiculously original. Because there is no other monster on the silver screen that resembles Freddy in the slightest and how he kills and how he functions pulls us into his stories the same way he pulls teens into his wicked dreams world. Because there is something powerful and frightening about the fact that he operates within the dream world and is eager to use our worst fears and our skeletons against us. Which in turn also allows for the most creative kills imaginable to take place. Since the dream world offers endless possibilities storytelling wise and Wes Craven and every writer that helped Freddy come to life, took full advantage of that since the teenagers of Elm Street meet some wild and outlandish ends in their sleep.

But above all else, what truly makes Freddy so iconic… is the character himself. Because all too often in horror stories, there is an attempt to humanize the monster in some form or fashion to properly teach the audience a lesson about our world and our society. But there’s no humanity to be found in Freddy. He’s simply a killing machine, one that craves his craft and does so with glee and well… that’s twisted and horrifying and fascinating all at once. Because we are inherently curious about evil and what drives it to thrive in people. So, to be presented with a monster that has no remorse or humanity left within its human shell, truly captivates a viewer and leaves them hungry for more and that quest for knowledge is indeed what compels fans to pour over the franchise.

If anything, this was just another phenomenal chapter in this incredible documentary. For once again, we were able to receive raw and honest insight from the cast and crew of this iconic series. The kind that really did allow for us to understand how much care went into the creation of the franchise and how the late Wes Craven wanted to challenge the audience through Freddy’s stories and well, once you learn all of that… you come to realize how intelligent these slasher movies are and how perfect they really are and how no one will ever be able to replicate what Wes and Robert have done. Because this really was lightning in a bottle, and twisted monster or not, Freddy should indeed be celebrated often. Since there is catharsis to be found in facing the unyielding and unstoppable personification of the greatest monster of all… our fears. Until next time.

---