Brad Pitt Appeared In A Forgotten Horror TV Series Before His Rise To Fame

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars cut their teeth in the horror genre, and Brad Pitt is no different. His early years saw him appear in various supporting roles for film and television, with projects like the slasher "Cutting Class" among his spookier offerings. Not only that, but the actor also appeared in an episode of "Freddy's Nightmares," aka the television spin-off of Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise — and it's one of the more experimental outings in the series.

"Freddy's Nightmares" is an anthology series that sees the dream-haunting demon, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), mostly serve as the host, as opposed to the slayer ... though some episodes turn him loose on some unsuspecting victims. That said, the tales of terror all take place in Freddy's main haunting hotspot, Springwood, proving that the residents have more to fear than a knife-gloved, maniacal menace who preys on the local youth.

The episode starring Pitt is called "Black Tickets," which combines romance and horror to tell a story about young love gone awry. With that in mind, let's find out what it's all about and why it doesn't quite work, despite its admirable qualities.

"Black Tickets" isn't the scariest episode in the "Freddy's Nightmares" vault, but it is a very surreal experience that's reminiscent of the "Twilight Zone" franchise, albeit not as good. The story centers around Pitt's character and his new wife as they embark on their journey as young, newlywed runaways, only to discover that they might have gotten married way too soon. After arriving in Springwood, they get robbed, arrested, and end up in a hotel full of snakes and piranhas — and Pitt's character gets entangled in a hit-and-run experience that's truly mind-boggling.

While those things all sound scary on paper, "Black Tickets" segues into a marital drama in which the young lovers are living in Springwood, dealing with relationship and baby problems. Everything that previously happened, with the hotels and hit-and-runs, has seemingly been forgotten, with no explanation as to why that is. There are some gory moments and spooky imagery throughout the episode, but it's more of a cautionary tale about the dangers of trying to run away from one's responsibilities, as opposed to the horror show some viewers might tune in expecting to see.

Unfortunately, the segments that encompass the episode are too disjointed for it to work as a narrative whole, and its message gets lost as a result. Still, it's worth seeing just for Pitt in an obscure horror show, and "Freddy's Nightmare" is a solid piece of entertainment overall. This episode isn't the best starting point, mind you, but the series is still well worth checking out.