The horror genre has long been notable for its willingness to tackle societal taboos, such as race and sexuality, through metaphors—with monsters often serving as stand-ins for real-life fears and insecurities.
A particularly interesting example is Nightmare on Elm Street 2, a critically panned horror sequel that was dismissed as a forgettable follow-up and a poorly made cash grab. But since its release, it has developed and maintained a cult following, not for its scares, but for the gay subtext that oozes out of nearly every scene.
The Subtext in Question
To explain the movie’s convoluted plot in a nutshell: Freddy Krueger is back, and this time his goal is to possess the body of a teenage boy who unwittingly moved into the house where Freddy’s spirit was trapped.
Now here’s where things get interesting. The teenage protagonist, played by then-closeted actor Mark Patton, becomes afraid that the monster inside of him will come out and spends much of the movie fearful that others will discover his secret.
Jesse was written in a way that made him relatable to viewers struggling with their sexuality. He spends the film wrestling with an inner monster, terrified that it will reveal itself.
He’s portrayed as insecure around women— an issue that doesn’t seem to exist when he’s in the company of his muscular best friend, Grady.
In one scene, Jesse finds himself unable to make out with his girlfriend out of fear that Freddy will take over his body. He then flees to Grady’s house to spend the night. When he arrives in Grady’s bedroom, his friend questions why Jesse would rather stay with him than his girlfriend to which Jesse doesn’t respond.
The Not-So-Subtle Stuff
There are numerous standout scenes filled with homoerotic imagery. The most notable occurs when Jesse stumbles through town in a daze, unknowingly wandering into what appears to be a gay bar. There, he runs into his bully gym teacher, who is angered to be seen in that setting. The teacher forces Jesse to run laps as punishment, but later, when the abusive instructor falls asleep, he enters a nightmare where Freddy kills him using BDSM gear. Notably, the scene includes a close-up of the teacher’s buttocks as they are whipped.
Was It Intentional?
Whether the movie intentionally includes gay subtext remains a hotly debated issue within the horror community. According to a Buzzfeed article about the film, Patton didn’t believe his character was initially meant to be gay during filming, but believes that certain themes were emphasized as production went on. He agrees with those who interpret the film as containing clear queer subtext.
Opinions among the rest of the cast and crew are mixed. In an interview with The Flashback Files, the director Jack Sholder claimed to not be aware of the gay themes during production. According to him the movie was about “repressed sexual angst that every teenager experiences”, noting that this theme overlaps with the gay subtext.
The screenwriter David Chaskin, however, has since said he wanted to comment on the AIDS crisis and the identity struggles many gay men faced when writing the script according to an article from Screen Rant. Robert Englund, who played Freddy Krueger, has referred to the movie as “bisexual themed”, in an interview with Attitude Magazine.
The Movie’s Lasting Legacy
Since its release, the film has developed a strong following within the gay community, with many viewers identifying with Jesse’s emotional journey. The film was notably more popular in Europe, where the queer subtext was more widely recognized and embraced at the time.
Mark Patton has since used his fame for good, donating profits from horror convention appearances to LGBTQ+ and AIDS relief charities. In 2019, he starred in the documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, which explores both the film’s subtext and Patton’s personal journey since his breakout role. Unlike Nightmare on Elm Street 2, the documentary holds a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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