Of the many films that make up the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge is one of its most iconic (and notorious) entries. This notorious reputation is largely thanks to its unique-for-the-franchise and well-commented-on queer subtext. Apocryphal sources point to an early text calling it “the gayest film ever made” (typically remembered as The Village Voice or The Advocate, depending on who you ask), thanks to subtext from multiple sources, all pointing to a sequel that’s surprisingly, well, decidedly not straight.
At face value, Freddy’s Revenge is the story of Jesse (Mark Patton), a teenage boy increasingly plagued by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) after his family has moved into (he finds out) the same house that Nancy Thompson lived in from the first film. Freddy wants to possess Jesse’s body, and the sleepless and isolated Jesse can really only turn to Lisa (Kim Myers), his friend and arguable love interest. He has to figure out how to push Freddy out (with Lisa’s help), lest he lose himself forever.
