Season four of Stranger Things was unmistakably a return to the Netflix series’ horror foundations. Season four lived up to the promise. The creators introduced a new enemy who was reminiscent of Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. But this isn’t the first time producers Matt and Ross Duffer have paid homage to legendary horror films from the 1980s. Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Halloween have all been mentioned in prior seasons.

This time, though, the inspiration was A Nightmare on Elm Street, which inspired not one, not two, but five nods to Wes Craven’s 1984 slasher.

Find out all the references to the horror movie in the new season down below.

All A Nightmare on Elm Street references in Stranger Things

The comeback of Robert Englund

Actor Robert Englund is the initial link between Stranger Things and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Englund played Freddy Krueger in multiple Nightmare on Elm Street films. In Stranger Things season 4, Englund reprises his role as Victor Creel, Vecna’s first victim.

Teenagers who have been troubled in their dreams

Stranger Things season four villain Vecna terrorizes kids in their nightmares, somewhat as Freddy Krueger does. Unlike Freddy, though, Vecna is capable of attacking the scared teenagers when they are awake.

Monsters that were once humans

Vecna was Victor Creel’s telekinetic kid before being caught by Dr. Martin Brenner and dubbed “001” or One, as we learned in season four, episode seven.

In a flashback, One is banished into the polluted Upside Down after a confrontation with Eleven at Hawkins Lab, resulting in his metamorphosis into a humanoid monstrosity.

Freddy had an identical past, as revealed in the film, as a human child murderer, who was burnt alive by the victims’ loved ones, leaving his scarred spirit to pursue vengeance.

So in hindsight, both Freddy and Vecna were once humans who, in turn, were turned into monsters.

Teens Who Have Been Falsely Accused

Eddie Munson, the head of the Dungeons & Dragons organization The Hellfire Club, is played by Stranger Things newbie Joseph Quinn.

While Eddie appears to be a genuine bad guy at first, he is revealed to be a big sweetie, who enjoys rock music and fantasy games.

Eddie reminds us of Rod from A Nightmare on Elm Street, who watches classmate Chrissy being murdered by Vecna and is subsequently accused of murdering the Hawkins High cheerleader (Jesus “Jsu” Garcia).

Rod, like Eddie, stands helpless as his lover Tina is murdered in her sleep by an unknown assailant. He is subsequently apprehended and charged with her murder.

Nancy in Stranger Things and A Nightmare on Elm Street

Nancy Wheeler is Vecna’s victim as season four, volume one draws to a conclusion, and it can’t be a coincidence. Why do we believe it?

Because Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) is also the name of the final girl in the first Nightmare on Elm Street film, both characters are enigmatic brunettes, who aren’t about to give up without a fight.

Were you guys able to spot any references in Stranger Things that we didn’t mention? Feel free to let us know in the comments.