Netflix’s “Stranger Things” owes a heavy debt to ’80s pop culture, particularly horror films. So, really, it makes sense that the show’s big bad, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), is reminiscent of one of the most popular slasher villains of the decade – Freddy Krueger. The distorted appearance? His penchant for tormenting children in their subconscious state? Don’t deny that the similarities between Vecna and the gloved demon from the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise aren’t obvious. Still, if you need further proof, look no further than Season 5 of “Stranger Things,” which contains DNA from Englund’s sweater-wearing monster.
The moment comes in “Chapter 5: Shock Jock”, in the scene where Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly (Nell Fisher) wander through the latter’s memories while stuck in the dream world of Vecna. The memory shows a random Halloween night where Holly and her friend are watching “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” on TV while Vecna secretly observes them. It’s a stark reminder that Vecna and Freddy possess similar abilities and a desire to harm young people – and it feels like that was the Duffer brothers’ intention.
You see, that’s not the only nod to the horror franchise created by Wes Craven in “Stranger Things.” In fact, the Duffers are the first to admit that “A Nightmare on Elm Street” heavily influenced their storytelling.
How A Nightmare on Elm Street Inspired the Duffer Brothers
Before becoming a monster that haunts children, Vecna was a human being named Henry Creel. His story is similar to that of Freddy’s Krueger, as he was also a mere mortal before gaining supernatural abilities. Plus, let’s not forget that Vecna’s father, Victor Creel, is played by Robert Englund in Season 4 of “Stranger Things,” so the connection between Vecna and Freddy couldn’t be more obvious. In an interview with NME, Ross Duffer also cited “A Nightmare on Elm Street” as one of the main horror and science fiction influences of “Stranger Things”, but it was not the only one. In his own words:
“The biggest influences would probably be ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street One’ and ‘Three,’ Clive Barker’s ‘Hellraiser,’ weirdly ‘The Cell,’ with Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn. There’s ‘IT,’ too. The 1990 miniseries with Tim Curry’s Pennywise had an impact on us, maybe more than anything else, so we talked about it a lot and why it ruined us so much. Did it.”
Vecna’s appearance is very reminiscent of the Cenobites from “Hellraiser,” and her story of psychologically tormented children gives her a Pennywise vibe at times. All of the influences Duffer mentions are present and evident in “Stranger Things,” but Freddy Krueger and Vecna would probably be best friends because of everything they have in common.
