A Nightmare on Elm Street may have been the most obvious inspiration for Stranger Things season 4, but it was not the only horror movie referenced. The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes were both directed by Wes Craven by the time A Nightmare on Elm Street was released. The future of the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise is currently up in the air, but fan art like the one above can keep the spirit of horror classics alive. The scene where Robin and Nancy visit his character in season 4 is very similar to the scene in Silence of the Lambs where Clarice Starling goes to interview a serial killer.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the most well-known horror films to come from the '80s, so it isn't surprising that the fourth season of Stranger Things was heavily influenced by it.
The Duffer Bros. have been able to craft their own unique story that's become one of the most compelling series. Since the series premiere, Matt and Ross Duffer have been packing in nostalgic '80s easter eggs, and this season's villain is based on three horror icons: Freddy, Stephen King'sPennywise, and Pinhead from Hellraiser. Matthew Peak's poster art for The Springwood Slasher helped get the film attention. There is a scene in Robin and Steve's Family Video where a Freddy Krueger cardboard cut-out is included. The villain's left hand is similar to Freddy's glove and Vecna's appearance is similar to the character in D&D. A replica of the famous pig-blood scene in Carrie is one of the many homages.
It's fun to see fan art that crosses over with different horror franchises, like the one behind the poster for Stranger Things. The big bad in Season 4 has the same powers as Freddy Krueger, being able to kill his victims in real-life while they are in a trance-like state after taunting them about their past trauma. A Nightmare on Elm Street is his most popular film because of the character Freddy Krueger. The poster for A Nightmare on Elm Street is very similar to the poster for Stranger Things season 4. The artwork replaces Nancy Thompson with Eleven and Freddy with Vecna.
The similarities have been combined into a single poster by artist diamonddead.