Before he was Captain Jack Sparrow or Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp made his big-screen debut as Glen Lantz, the sweet, all-American boyfriend who meets a memorably gruesome fate at the hands of Freddy Krueger. Directed by Wes Craven, this slasher staple helped define the genre and launched Depp into Hollywood stardom.
The film’s now-iconic scene—Glen being swallowed by his bed in a geyser of blood—remains one of horror’s most unforgettable moments. It’s a perfect pick for Halloween Horror Nights nostalgia, blending 1980s suburban innocence with surreal, nightmarish terror.
A Nightmare on Elm Street wasn’t just a box office hit—it became a cultural phenomenon, spawning a franchise, redefining horror villains, and cementing Freddy Krueger as a pop culture icon.
So grab your popcorn, dim the lights, and revisit the film that turned sleep into a battleground—and introduced the world to a young Johnny Depp.
Do you remember your first Freddy fright? Was Johnny’s dreamscape demise your intro to horror? Drop your favorite Elm Street moments or scream queen memories in the comments below. Let’s haunt this Halloween together.
