Stranger Things gave subtle nod to Nightmare on Elm Street in Robert Englund episode
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4.
It's now a tradition on Stranger Things for executive producer Shawn Levy, known for helming movies like Free Guy and The Adam Project, to direct the third and fourth episode of each season. It began out of necessity. Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer had planned to direct the entirely of season 1, but as they began, they couldn't finish writing the scripts and be the ones behind the camera. So, Levy offered a helping hand.
"I was the lucky son of a b--- who went and directed the Christmas lights episode and so many moments in season 1 that have become signature sequences for the show," he tells EW. "I just thought it was luck, but then when the series became so successful, the Duffers and I realized we shared just enough superstition to not f--- with fate."
The tradition continues with season 4, the first seven episodes from which are now streaming on Netflix. As with past seasons, the third and fourth episodes are turning points. Levy explains episode 3 is always heavy on plot and character, while episode 4 is usually when the threat of the season is clarified. That meant that Levy got the opportunity to direct a screen legend through a pivotal moment in the show's arc.
Netflix Robert Eglund as Victor Creel in 'Stranger Things' season 4.
Robert Englund, who famously starred as dream-walking serial killer Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, arrives on Stranger Things as Victor Creel.
Once a devoted family man, Creel was blamed for the murders of his wife and daughter in the 1950s after strange occurrences began in their Hawkins home. Little did he know, his young son, Henry — who's revealed to be One, the very first psychic child that launched Dr. Martin Brenner's program and later became Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) — was the one responsible, having used his abilities to terrorize those around him. Creel was thrown in the Pennhurst psychiatric hospital, where Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Robin (Maya Hawke) find him in the present.
"He brought a real enthusiasm to his role, and honestly, it was just an honor to watch him work," Dyer says of Englund. "The role that he plays is just really interesting... He was so lovely and kind and sweet and really gave such a great performance."
The main inspiration for this moment in season 4, which entails the teens interviewing Creel about Vecna, was The Silence of the Lambs, but Levy says there was also a subtle nod to A Nightmare on Elm Street.
"There's a closeup of [Creel] scratching his fingernails on the desk in his cell," he says. "It's implied that he's done it for so long that the linoleum desktop is worn away by the scrape of his fingertip." This, of course, is an allusion to Englund's weapons of choice as Freddy Krueger: the razor sharp, metal blades attached to each of his fingers.
Netflix Robin (Maya Hawke) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) in season 4 of Netflix's 'Stranger Things'
Englund's presence alone makes it clear that Elm Street is a major reference for Stranger Things season 4. The Duffers had name-dropped the film when previewing the new story. "The design and evil capabilities of Vecna are clearly descendants of Freddy Kruger," Levy confirms of the show's new villain, who attacks by projecting his mind from the Upside Down into the world of Hawkins by trapping his victims in dreamlike states.
The filmmaker also says Englund is the "icon of icons" for the Duffers. "When the Duffers direct, there's no need for me to go to set. And when I direct, there's not a need for the brothers to come to set. We have such implicit trust in each other's filmmaking," Levy says. "But the day I shot with Robert was one of the very few times that the Duffers made a point of coming to set just to hang out and nerd out with Robert England. I will soon be unleashing my treasure trove of behind-the-scenes pictures from the season 4 shoot, and one of my favorites is of Matt and Ross Duffer talking to Robert England while wearing Freddy Kruger T-shirts. That's what delightful film geeks the Duffer brothers truly are."
Stranger Things season 4, Volume I is currently streaming on Netflix. (Read our full recap.) Volume II is set to premiere on July 1.
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