A Nightmare on Elm Street ending explained

What happens

Nancy refuses to fear Krueger, and he vanishes. Morning looks bright, and her friends are alive. Then their car closes around them, his glove appears, and her mother is dragged through the front door. The nightmare isn't over.

The last image

Nancy's mother is pulled through the front door by an unseen force, as the bright morning turns into a nightmare.

Three readings

1 · Still dreamingThe happy morning is another trap, and Nancy never left the nightmare.

2 · Fear returnsShe beat Krueger, but guilt buried by the adults cannot be erased in one night.

3 · Sequel hookThe ending is also simply a shock, leaving the door open for more films.

What it says

Nancy's courage breaks Krueger's hold on her, but the adults' buried guilt never goes away so easily. The film ends on a bright morning that goes wrong, so you leave as unsure of safety as the characters.