Fred Krueger was a child molester that would kill his victims with a homemade glove that had knives for fingers. He was caught, arrested and tried for the murder of the children, but because an officer didn’t sign the search warrant in the right place, Krueger got off. The families of the slain children partnered up and burned Krueger alive. Ten years pass, and now Freddy haunts the dreams of his now teenage victims. Fred Krueger is a manifestation of the ghosts from the victims past and an allegorical representation of molestation. Think about it. This is a man who is in your bed with you, and leaves you with no control which is every bit as intrusive as rape. He even uses sexually suggestive dialogue to taunt his victims such as “Come to Freddy,” as he flickers his tongue pantomiming oral sex. He represents those dark secrets of victimization that people are afraid to confront and are unwilling to turn their back on, and that is what makes Fred Krueger a remarkably potent villain, whether it be on a conscious or subconscious level. On the commentary Craven said; “Actually the idea of ‘screw sleep’ or ‘sleeping with the enemy’ was the philosophical underpinning of this film. Where sleep is equated with lack of knowledge of the truth. So, in order to survive you must be awake, you must know what the truth is, and face it and deal with it. And, um, the fact that all the parents are hiding the truth of what they did is causing the next generation most of its grief.”

In that line of thought, the film’s backstory is far more deeply intriguing than your average horror film and does not just serve to set up a remarkable villain but also how the parents have coped with the horrific crime. It is really a unique morality play that unfolds when one examines the parents and the use of vigilante justice to kill Freddy the first time. Nancy’s mom became a horrible alcoholic, while her father is a complete non-presence in her life, dedicating his life as a police officer in the pursuit of justice. It can be read that Tina’s mom has turned to a life of promiscuity, and Glen’s parents become hyper overbearing and protective. All of this is a direct result of their own brand of vigilante justice asking the audience to examine the nature of that brand of justice. Is what they did right? Are they any less horrible than Fred? They burned a man alive. It is remarkable to think that this is a plot point that is only on the very periphery of the film, when it has so much potential.