Heather Langenkamp's A Nightmare On Elm Street character Nancy Thompson might not be the most famous and talked about final girl, but she's definitely a well-crafted character. Nancy is one of the first people to learn about everything that Freddy Krueger is capable of, and her journey in the 1984 film makes up one of the scariest and most compelling horror movie watching experiences.
Although some other characters get lots of attention, there are a lot of positive things about Nancy's character, and she's one of the best final girls in horror movie history.
When Freddy Krueger enters people's dreams in A Nightmare On Elm Street, audiences first learn about this fascinating concept from Nancy Thompson. As a regular teenager who likes being popular, dressing in the styles of the time, and living her nice, happy suburban life, Nancy could be anyone. This is what works so well about her character. When fans think about horror movie protagonists, they love final girls Sidney and Laurie. Nancy is up there with Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), as she's just as relatable and interesting.
Heather Langenkamp was interviewed by Dread Central about her documentary, I Am Nancy, which was released in 2011. Langenkamp feels strongly about having people remember her as her iconic character: the actor said, "Something else we wanted to do with I Am Nancy is explore why women in the horror genre were always being chased down by monsters and even though the monsters became icons in their own rights, the women in these roles were also doing some heavy lifting and I think they deserved their due too."
Langenkamp is right that she did an incredible job portraying this horror movie main character, and Nancy should be celebrated because A Nightmare On Elm Street wouldn't be the same without her. Nancy is part of two of the most terrifying scenes in the first movie: when she falls asleep at school and Freddy chases her in the boiler room, and when she falls asleep in the bath and Freddy tries to get her. When Nancy starts drinking a ton of coffee in order to stay awake, fans can see a smart, strong, resourceful person who will do what she can to save herself and her friends, which are all things that final girls do.
In some ways, Nancy is more fleshed out than Laurie Strode in 1978's Halloween. Nancy has a boyfriend: Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp), which gives her even more motivation to survive and make sure that Freddy doesn't hurt anyone ever again. While many horror movie characters remain skeptical of what's going on, whether the events are paranormal or there's a serial killer, final girls dive into the action immediately without a second thought. Nancy does this too, as she realizes that her friend Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss) has been killed by Freddy. Although Laurie is tough and wonderful in Halloween, Nancy really fights for her survival, figuring out why Freddy can get into people's dreams and why he is doing this.
Just like Halloween and Scream show final girls after the horrors of the original events, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors sees Nancy working as an intern at Westin Hills Asylum. Nancy has been medicated and using Hypnocil so she doesn't dream, which is of course necessary since she's still terrified of Freddy. Fans learn that Nancy's life has been completely ruined by the ordeal that she went through with Freddy and she's doing her best to face each new day while being aware that he could return at any moment.
Although Nancy might not appear in as many movies as Sidney and Laurie, audiences still see how her life has been altered by the events of the first film, which makes her a perfect final girl who deserves a lot of credit for being a strong person. The conclusion of A Nightmare On Elm Street is scary and sad, with Nancy seeming to get into her friend's car, thinking that it's all over. But then her mom Marge (Ronee Blakley) is killed, and it seems like Nancy might be having a nightmare.
Of course, what ultimately sets Nancy Thompson apart is that she does die, becoming a final girl who dies in a sequel. Nancy may be there for the other characters, assisting them on their own journey to beat Freddy, but she ultimately loses. Nancy takes Freddy's glove and tries to kill him, but he's too smart and quick and succeeds in ending Nancy's life. Still, fans feel that Nancy truly gave this her best shot and while her death is upsetting, it feels inevitable because Freddy feels like a horror movie villain who will keep living.
Despite this sad ending and the fact that Freddy defeats Nancy, fans can still find a lot to love about Nancy in A Nightmare On Elm Street and the third film in the franchise.