Watch Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is a gripping documentary that examines the life of Mark Patton, who played the lead in the horror cult classic A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. This movie is a powerful exploration of how one film can have a profound impact on an actor's life and mental health, as well as on the broader LGBTQ community.

The film alternates between interviews with Patton and other key players in the making of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and archival footage from the 1980s, including scenes from the film itself. One of the most compelling aspects of the documentary is how it places Patton's story within the broader context of the epidemic of HIV/AIDS that ravaged the gay community in the 1980s. Patton's choice to play a gay character in a mainstream Hollywood horror film was a risky one, and the backlash he faced because of it (both from fans and from the industry) is sobering to watch.

Throughout the documentary, we learn about Patton's struggles with his sexuality and mental health and the ways in which playing Jesse in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 both exacerbated and helped him come to terms with those struggles. Director Roman Chimienti and producer Tyler Jensen do an excellent job of balancing empathy and humor, making sure to give Patton space to tell his story in his own words while also providing a nuanced portrait of the cultural moment that surrounded the film's release.

One of the most moving parts of the documentary is the way that it shows how Patton's experiences on the set of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 have resonated with the LGBTQ community over the years. The film has become something of a cult classic within the community, celebrated for its subversive take on horror movie conventions and its overt homoeroticism. The documentary includes interviews with several fans and scholars who explain why the film has meant so much to them and how it has helped shape their understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

Of course, no exploration of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 would be complete without discussing the role of Robert Englund, the actor behind the series' iconic villain, Freddy Krueger. Englund is interviewed extensively in the documentary, and his relationship with Patton and his character is a key theme. Through Englund's insights, we see how the movie business can be simultaneously cruel and compassionate, exploitative and nurturing.

Other notable interviewees include Jack Sholder, who directed A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, and David Chaskin, the film's screenwriter. Both speak candidly about their intentions when making the film and their reactions to the controversy that arose after its release. Chimienti and Jensen intersperse these interviews with footage from fan conventions and other events, showing just how much impact A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 has had in the years since its release.

Ultimately, Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is a moving and thought-provoking documentary that deserves to be seen by horror fans and LGBTQ advocates alike. It offers a nuanced and compelling window into a pivotal moment in both the horror genre and American culture at large, and it provides an inspiring portrait of one actor's resilience in the face of adversity. Whether you're a fan of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 or not, this movie is an essential document of its time and place, and it will leave you with a newly appreciative understanding of the ways in which film can both reflect and shape our society.

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is a 2020 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2 and a MetaScore of 64.