Despite releasing over three decades ago, the Internet is still ripe with theories based around A Nightmare on Elm Street. The latest and maybe most intriguing involves the idea that protagonist Nancy Thompson could actually be related to reality-bending serial killer Freddy Krueger. Though it may seem far-fetched, there is enough evidence available to at least consider the possibility.
The notorious Springwood Slasher is a child murderer who was burned alive by the town after escaping the law. He later returns to torment and ultimately kill his own murderers’ children by invading their dreams every night. One of these poor victims is Nancy, whose friends each fall victim to the disfigured psychopath while they sleep.
Eventually, she’s told of Krueger’s backstory by her alcoholic mother. Mrs. Thompson has had a hard time dealing with her lethal actions all those years ago and even seems to have a special connection to the man she took part in killing. After all, she houses some of his personal possessions in the furnace.
While Freddy has no qualms about simply murdering all of his other prey, he appears to take great pleasure in torturing Nancy as much as he can. This could be because he’s especially angry at her mother for concealing the truth about her family. There are plenty of times when he could’ve easily sliced up the beautiful teen, but instead decides to continue forcing her through mental agony.
Overall, while this theory may be fun, it still seems unlikely. If Mrs. Thompson is honest enough to admit that she murdered someone for revenge, she should also be willing to come fully clean and profess the truth about Nancy’s dad. Additionally, the clues that hint at this hypothesis aren’t strong enough to be able to definitively declare anything that substantial.
In any case, when the long-awaited A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot eventually hits theaters, maybe horror fans will finally get some answers. Unfortunately though, that’s not something that appears to be happening any time soon.
