Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » Fantastic Fest 2019: ‘Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street’ is Necessary Viewing

Fantastic Fest 2019: ‘Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street’ is Necessary Viewing

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez09/25/20194 Mins ReadUpdated:08/22/2022
scream queen
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Scream Queen

Horror hasn’t been good to marginalized communities. Characters of color, queer characters, and even female characters have long been a part of horror’s more exploitive tropes, left to be on the side of the narrative instead of respected and embraced. This reality, while felt by fans, is also lived by its stars. At Fantastic Fest 2019, Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street made its debut, telling the story of Mark Patton who in 1985 landed the lead in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, a film that would give some fans a voice while others chided it.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is Patton’s return to the big screen after 30 years, and chronicles Freddy’s Revenge’s current cult status, as we watch its star confront his own demons and tell his story. The documentary also explains how Freddy’s Revenge has moved from a film hated by vocal critics to a beloved piece of horror cinema that is loved by many in the fandom to the point that it is still shown today. Scream, Queen! tells Patton’s story on his own terms. We see Patton’s history leading up to what should have been his big break with the role of Jesse Walsh in Freddy’s Revenge. Instead, the film’s status as a subversively queer film put him face to face with a monster scarier than Freddy: Hollywood’s homophobia.

The film chronicles this change from the disdain of homophobic fans to the love of horror fans everywhere through interviews with celebrities, film historians, drag icon Peaches Christ, and the original cast and crew. Using their voices, and most importantly, Patton’s voice, Scream, Queen showcases the importance of Freddy’s Revenge in queer horror cinema, the fans who see themselves in Jesse, and ultimately looks into Patton’s life before entering the horror community and how a bigoted culture pushed him out of Hollywood.

Scream, Queen! also offers up a look into the idea of the final girl, Jesse’s status as the first and arguably only final boys in history, and how Freddy’s Revenge brought trope subversion that audiences were not ready for. The power of the final girl comes from her assuming the killer’s tools and becoming masculine. For Jesse, who is already masculine, the trajectory and trope is different as one of the scholars in the film discusses. This reading of the trope provides an important dissection of horror through a queer lens which you won’t find outside Scream, Queen!

Scream, Queen! serves as a lesson on our history as a country and of our genre. It beautifully maps out the circumstances of the film while also providing a look into Patton’s life. Through the story of Patton’s life, we experience the production of Freddy’s Revenge. The documentary shows the responsibility that directors carry when commenting on their films. While Patton’s role as Jesse was immediately read as queer horror by The Advocate when it was released, the film’s director,  Jack Sholder, long refused to engage the narrative, instead of blaming Patton for the queer subtext in the film. In fact, Sholder went as far as saying that his film was meant to be homophobic. By choosing to put this all on his star, Sholder effectively pushed Patton out of Hollywood.

Scream, Queen! is a necessary film that points out the mistreatment of marginalized talent and stories in a genre that fans see as accepting. The best part of the film is that it follows Patton from convention to convention as he’s received by loving fans, exploring how Freddy’s Revenge has become central to the horror experience of some fans. With this, the documentary shows the legacy of Patton’s work, how it’s helped fans, and how it’s become much more than just another film in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.

Overall, Scream, Queen! is required viewing for fans of the franchise, but even more so for all fans of horror. With Shudder currently developing a documentary celebrating queer horror, Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street showcases the importance of Freddy’s Revenge as a piece of queer horror history while also solidifying Patton’s legacy in the genre. If you love horror, you must watch this film.

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is available now on Shudder.

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street
  • 10/10
    Rating - 10/10
10/10

TL;DR

Scream, Queen! is required viewing for fans of the franchise, but even more so for all fans of horror. With Shudder currently developing a documentary celebrating queer horror, Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street showcases the importance of Freddy’s Revenge as a piece of queer horror history while also solidifying Patton’s legacy in the genre. If you love horror, you must watch this film.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Grendel: Devil’s Odyssey,’ Issue #1
Next Article REVIEW: ‘The Plot,’ Issue #1
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here