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Wes Craven is one of the most influential horror franchise directors of the late 20th to early 21st centuries. Not only is he the mastermind behind A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream franchises, but also responsible for horror classics like The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The People Under The Stairs (1991), and The Last House on the Left (1972). Often times, the horror genre is a reflection or manifestation of unconscious fears, trauma, or social anxiety. Many horror directors use the genre as a way to display personal trauma, whether literal or metaphorical. This is no different for Craven, who inserted his childhood trauma into some of his most iconic characters to reclaim control of the narrative.
Craven’s most popular villain is undoubtedly Freddy Krueger, the demonic child killer who seeks revenge on the children of the individuals that burned him alive for his crimes. What is less known, however, is that Krueger’s character was partially inspired by the evil mastermind of his first feature, Krug from The Last House on The Left. This film embodied any parent’s worst fear. Two teenage girls go out to a concert, excited about their newfound freedom and independence, just to cross paths with a group of predatory killers who kidnap, sexually assault, and murder them. The leader of the group is a psychopath named Krug Stillo (David Hess) who is the most depraved of them all, and who Krueger was partially named after. Krug isn’t just a serial killer and rapist, but a narcissistic sociopath. He even purposely got his son, Junior, addicted to heroin so he could use him as his pawn in his violent endeavors, forcing him to either participate or experience torturous drug withdrawal. He represents a man without a conscience, driven to make others suffer by any means.
What Was Craven’s Inspiration Behind The Names Krug and Krueger?
The name Krug/Krueger and its significance to Craven expands beyond fiction. When Craven was a child, his father terrified him and his siblings. Although Craven didn’t say he was downright abusive, he did note that although “He died quite early in my life…we were all afraid of him and that just stays with you.” Craven was open that some aspects of Krug and Krueger were inspired by his intimidating real-life father figure, but was even more forward about being inspired by his childhood bully, Fred Kruger. Craven was constantly bullied and beat up by Fred Kruger in middle school, and it clearly had a long-term impact. Craven combined the two individuals who traumatized him the most as a child, and transformed them into a visually hideous entity that represented pure evil.
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The film grossed more than $115 million worldwide in 2004 on a $30 million budget.
There are also a number of similarities between Krug and Krueger that further their likeness. Although Krug isn’t nearly as visually repulsive as Krueger, they are both unapologetic child killers who derive pleasure from others’ pain. They both have sadistic personalities, are proudly manipulative, relentless in their pursuit, enjoy taunting their victims, and lack any remorse. Apart from their appearance, mortality, backstory, and motives, both Krug and Krueger embody personified immorality. Craven took this a step further by using “inspiration” from the Nazis as a final reference for the two names. WWII was going on during the first six years of Craven’s life, and he remembered that Krupp was the name of Hitler’s ammunition manufacturer. Craven stated that, “There’s something about the KRU sound that appealed to me for evil” and decided to name Krug after that. So essentially, both Krug and Krueger were inspired by Craven’s abusive father, his childhood bully, and the manufacturer of Nazi weapons during WWII.
Did Craven Direct Horror Films as A Way to Reclaim Control of The Narrative?
Craven is not the only horror director to manifest his fears onscreen, but he did do it in the most literal way. This is unlike talented contemporaries like Ari Aster (whose films revolve around familial trauma and grief), David Lowery (who focuses on themes of loss and acceptance), or Julia Ducournau (who uses body horror to reflect self-transformations). In comparison, Craven manifested his fears into his most famous villain. Freddy Krueger is Craven’s trauma personified, from the three most negative influences in his early life.
A decade ago, Craven told Hero magazine, “It’s really fascinated me my entire career that there is that phenomenon of little boys dressing like Freddy, there is a need to get control of the terrifying, and in a sense, embrace it in entertainment so it doesn’t devastate you psychically.” Craven was essentially doing something similar and reclaiming his childhood trauma, specifically from his father and childhood bully. Whether Craven named these characters after his bully and father to somehow get revenge for how he was treated, or as a means to cope and face trauma from his past is unknown, but it was clearly cathartic for Craven to insert real-life people and traumatic events into his films, and his ability to gain back control of the narrative—even decades after the fact. Using film as his medium, Craven was able to look into the mirror and face his demons.
- Release Date
- March 13, 2009
- Director
- Dennis Iliadis
- Cast
- Monica Potter , Tony Goldwyn , Sara Paxton , Garret Dillahunt , Aaron Paul , Spencer Treat Clark , Riki Lindhome , Martha MacIsaac , Michael Bowen , Josh Coxx , Usha Khan
- Runtime
- 113 minutes
- Writers
- Carl Ellsworth
The Last House on The Left (1972) is available to stream for free on Amazon Prime Video
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