[Film Review] Fredheads the Documentary (2022)

We Are All Elm Street Kids!

I believe there is a Fredhead inside all of us and for fans of the Nightmare on Elm Street series, we all remember our first encounter with Freddy, Nancy, and the Elm Street kids. My own introduction came aged six at a sleepover where Dream Warriors was rented on VHS but--thanks to seeing Phillip’s tendons being used as puppet strings--remained unfinished. Like the fans who share their memories in Fredheads, my inaugural Elm Street moment has stuck with me ever since. Director Paige Joy Troxell and Kim Gunzinger’s documentary made me realise how much I share with my fellow Nightmare fans, both in our love for the series and in how it has helped us heal from the wounds of our personal experiences. 

While some horror documentaries apply heavy focus on cast, crew and well-known faces in the community, Fredheads’ true power lies in its choice to devote its screentime predominantly to Nightmare fans which means it is brimming with heart and authenticity. Footage of fans from conventions, festivals and online submissions are intercut between equally sincere and effecting roundtable discussions between Troxell, Gunzinger, Diandra Lazor, Anthony Brownlee, and Jeremy Todd Morehead. These roundtables feel intimate, warm and safe-in short, this is a group that I found myself wishing I could be a part of.

We keep the memories of the past in our own personal basements--like the boiler room inhabited by Freddy in A Nightmare in Elm Street (1984). However, the honest and open accounts of how the Nightmare series has changed the lives of the film’s own Dream Warriors speak to how we are all dealing with and processing the traumas of the past. Despite experiences of abuse, bullying, bereavement and abandonment, Fredheads illustrates that through horror, there is plenty of hope to be found. 

We simultaneously cheer for and fear the fedora-wearing Freddy Krueger and the documentary explores the multitudinous reactions he inspires in horror fans far and wide. This is conveyed by the wonderful voices which Fredheads gives space to, with fans describing him as both a stand-in for our fears and representing a feeling of not fitting in or belonging. There is great power in seeing so many fans sharing their journey, allowing themes to rise to the surface. This includes (but is not limited to) the degree in which the Nightmare films are embedded in our collective inner child and how so many of us first came to the series as a response to being forbidden from watching them. 

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Rightly so, a portion of the documentary is dedicated to Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp, two people who have been instrumental in bringing joy to so many through their ongoing commitment to and interaction with their fans. It is not just Freddy and Nancy who have had a life changing impact on horror audiences, but Robert and Heather too and Fredheads does a superb job of displaying this. The documentary also takes great care to represent character actors and cosplayers, documenting how their work continues to give so much to them personally through allowing them to give to others in a beautiful exchange of passion.  

Nancy has occupied a special place in my heart from a young age, and I’ve always read her line: ‘whatever you do, don’t fall asleep’ as being a metaphor for not giving up on yourself. As such, I found the segment on the wonderful work of Diandra Lazor particularly emotional. In spearheading a Nancy Thompson movement, she is a continuation of Heather’s own impact in that she carries the beacon of our beloved final girl--including everything she stands for and represents--ensuring that the spirit of Nancy lives on.

So much of the personal is tied up in our love of these films and I recognise the Nightmare fans I’ve met as a reflection of those who are shown throughout Fredheads. These films bring us to a special place, not only within ourselves, but with others too and the fan culture around them continues to demonstrate the instant and long-lasting connections horror is able to facilitate.  

This is more than a horror documentary; it is a meditation on how we all have fears and dreams and how--like the Elm Street kids--we find protection in togetherness. We may be carrying the baggage of our pasts but these shared fears are also capable of creating a beautiful unity. Fredheads sends a strong message of solidarity, reminding us that we can rely upon one another, as well as on the horror films that bind us. It’s a capsule of our shared memories and traumas whilst still allowing room for us to dream. I for one, am forever proud to call myself an Elm Street kid. 

For more information, visit fredheadsdoc.com

Available to order here Amazon.com: FredHeads: The Documentary 

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