Two days from now, the Friday The 13th franchise will be 40 years old - the first installment of this iconic horror franchise was released on May 9th, 1980. To celebrate this milestone, I shall be ranking all 12 films of this franchise, because for some reason I have seen all 12. Ranging from exciting to horrible, terrifying to laughable, and from Camp Crystal Lake all the way to outer space, this franchise has definitely had its highs and lows - and here they are, from lowest low to highest high.
12. Friday The 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
For me, the worst of the worst in this slasher franchise isn't one of the most far-out ones where Jason Voorhees goes to space or hell (yes, those are both real movies, this franchise is crazy). I prefer crummy sequels that are at least creative and different to sequels that are simply lazy and unoriginal, and that is why this fifth installment of the franchise is so unimpressive. The directorial style, horror and overall setting feel so tired after the previous four movies, which feels especially insulting as the film's title literally promises a new beginning. The only ways where A New Beginning differs from its predecessor are some awful story choices; I won't spoil the ending if someone is interested in watching this film (although you really should think twice on that), but there's a laughable set of plot twists that wrap the movie up. The film's most positive quality is having the wonderful character Tommy Jarvis return to be the protagonist, but even that is flawed as John Shepherd isn't nearly as good in the heroic role as his other portrayals in the franchise.
11. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
The protagonist in the seventh installment to the series is a girl called Tina (Lar Park-Lincoln), who has telekinetic powers. This turns out to be both the film's biggest asset and its biggest downside. On one hand, having a main character with supernatural abilities is a way of being interesting and different instead of repeating the same old stuff, so this hero was certainly a better choice than focusing on regular group of horny teenagers for the seventh time. On the other hand, the writers could have dreamed up something more interesting, as no one was really asking for a Jason vs. Carrie match-up. The telekinetic powers -narrative is different, but not in a particularly intriguing way. The film is watchable enough and certainly better than A New Beginning, but it's not really anything special; other than the powers of the main hero, the film falls into similar tropes as the previous installments, making for quite a cliché and predictable slasher. It also falls into the middle ground of not being particularly scary like the first entries in the franchise, but also not being very fun and entertaining like some later ones.
10. Jason X (2002)
A lot of people might put this on the last spot, but as mentioned above, I prefer a far-out film that's at least memorable and bold to a lazy same-old-same-old sequel. And boy, this movie certainly is far out; it takes place in the future, as the frozen corpse of Jason Voorhees is accidentally awakened in space. While the premise is way too ridiculous to make for a seriously good movie, it sure as hell is enough to make for an entertaining guilty pleasure movie. It isn't particularly scary, well-written or well-acted, but it's a bunch of fun if you turn your brain all the way off. There's even some clever meta humor towards the end, proving that the writers did have some smart ideas. When the eventual next installment to this undying franchise is made (BTW: the next one will be the 13th Friday The 13th, so it must be something special), I wouldn't mind if picked off from where this film ends, instead of rebooting the character for more of the same old stuff at Camp Crystal Lake.
9. Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Much like Jason X, this film is bonkers. But it's a surprisingly interesting direction to take the Jason Voorhees story. The aforementioned villain is killed (sort of) in the very first scene, but his soul starts to inhabit people as it tries to make its way back to its original body. While the film doesn't feature a whole lot of classic hockey-mask Jason, here are some things it does feature: a fresh setting, different type of horror than other films in the franchise (there's a lot of Cronenberg-esque body horror in this one), a bunch of origin story-like lore surrounding Jason and his powers, and even setting up the table for the crossover film Freddy Vs. Jason (more on that one later). At times, Jason Goes To Hell can be clumsy, and more often than not it takes itself too seriously, but there's still a whole lot to like if you've been on board with the franchise long enough to make it to this strange film.
8. Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Many fans of the franchise hate this one for failing to deliver on its titular promise: a majority of the film takes place on a ship on its way to Manhattan, and only in the very tail end of the film do we see Jason Voorhees taking on the city of New York. I have no problem with that; while Manhattan is the milieu of many of the world's best films, I don't see the prospect of Jason Voorhees running around its crowded streets as particularly interesting. Where's the horror in a colorful city that never sleeps? Jason Voorhees boarding a large ship full of youngsters on their way to New York, and discretely making his way through this ship in the middle of a cold and misty river, on the other hand? Now that's a horror movie.
While parts of Jason Takes Manhattan are surprisingly good horror (not nearly as good as the first entries in the franchise, but certainly better than the likes of Jason X), other moments are over-the-top and silly in the tradition of late Friday The 13th films. It's just scary enough to be a better horror film than Jason Goes To Hell or Jason X, but also memorable and campy enough to beat out ones like A New Beginning that take themselves too seriously. It's far from being a great film, but in the context of this flawed yet entertaining franchise, it's quite a fine one.
7. Friday The 13th Part III (1982)
Now we start to arrive at the installments that I really like quite a lot. Mind you, Part III is far from perfect: the group of cliché horny teenagers dying one by one at Crystal Lake for the third time in a row starts to feel quite repetitive. Still, the movie has strengths: a likable and memorable protagonist Chris (Dana Kimmell), good pacing as the build-up of tension escalates into a fast-paced climax smoothly, as well as some well-built horror sequences. The film's greatest strength is in the look of Jason Voorhees; this is the first film where he wears his iconic hockey mask. Jason Voorhees didn't have such a strong beginning as Michael Myers of the Halloween franchise of Freddie Krueger of Nightmare On Elm Street, but this is the film where he truly came into his own as an iconic horror villain - and a lot of this is thanks to the hockey mask, and the terrifying magnificence that comes with it.
6. Friday The 13th Part II (1981)
Many would rank this installment higher, but here's my problem with this otherwise awesome sequel: it's too serious for this franchise. That's a weird thing for me to say, as I generally prefer serious horror movies to silly ones. But Friday The 13th is a franchise with such an outlandish premise, that this particular series works much better when it has a tongue-in-cheek feel to it. The mix of more serious horror with the premise of a vengeful mutant killer killing horny teenagers one by one is a bit clumsy at times, as is the character of Jason Voorhees itself. This is the first film to have him as a main villain (don't forget, Voorhees's mother was the antagonist in the first Friday The 13th), and he hasn't quite come into his own yet - the pillowcase he wears over his head is much less frightening than the hockey mask he would find in the next movie.
Other than those aspects, this film is very enjoyable and successful. The characters are more realistic and less caricature-like than in pretty much any other Friday The 13th, and the horror itself is very well-built. Whether it's the first act's creepy build-up where the youths share myths of Jason Voorhees by a campfire, or the final act's exciting showdown, the sequel is certainly one of the scarier entries in the franchise.
Other than those aspects, this film is very enjoyable and successful. The characters are more realistic and less caricature-like than in pretty much any other Friday The 13th, and the horror itself is very well-built. Whether it's the first act's creepy build-up where the youths share myths of Jason Voorhees by a campfire, or the final act's exciting showdown, the sequel is certainly one of the scarier entries in the franchise.
5. Friday The 13th (2009)
And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have an extremely rare occurrence: a very decent horror movie remake. Sure, 2009's Friday The 13th isn't exactly Citizen Kane, and technically it's more of a reboot / pseudo-sequel than a remake, but the bottom line is that I enjoyed this film quite a lot. Supernatural's Jared Padalecki and The Flash's Danielle Panabaker deliver acting that feels way too good for this franchise, Marcus Nispel does a solid job directing as the film feels scary and focused, and the production values are infinitely better than in the several sequels that came before this. The setting of Crystal Lake had been overdone to death in the franchise before it moved to other terrain, but after expanding the franchise to Hell and space and whatnot, it felt like a refreshing change to return to a dark and updated version of the place where it all began.
My favorite part of the film (and possibly of the entire franchise, to be honest) is the opening sequence: before the opening title, we get a sequence over 20 minutes long that has the viewer on the edge of their seat with its mounting tension and well-built horror. While many of the more outlandish sequels of the 90's and early 00's had been entertaining guilty pleasure films, the franchise hadn't been actually scary for a very long time - but this film, and especially this masterfully crafted opening sequence - sure brought the horror back.
4. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
It's ridiculous. It's way over the top. It's filled with cringe-worthy dialogue and gory violence. So, yeah, I'd say the crossover between the Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday The 13th franchises is everything people were expecting, and everything I wanted it to be. If you feel like conventionally good cinema with sharp production quality and sense-making writing, then maybe don't watch Freddy Vs. Jason. But if you like slasher films, ambitious crossovers, and sheer entertainment, then this film sure delivers.
While many parts of the plot are quite inconsistent and even dumb, the way the two iconic villains are brought together is actually quite ingenious. Freddy Krueger of the Elm Street franchise has an intriguing dynamic with Friday The 13th's own Jason Voorhees, as the two slasher villains couldn't be more different - Freddy's constant zingers and creepy charisma make for quite a hilarious backdrop to the hockey-masked villain who hasn't spoken a word in 12 movies. The film follows them buddying up to kill a bunch of teenagers together, before they turn against each other, culminating in a very entertaining fight scene. There's a lot to like in this film if you're a fan of the franchises - just do yourself a favor and, for the love of God, don't take it too seriously.
3. Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Jason Lives is a crucial turning point for the franchise. After many films of not quite finding the right style to make this franchise the best version of itself, the writers finally cracked the case: don't take it too seriously. Many horror franchises may be at their best when they're serious instead of when they start joking around too much (watch Halloween: Resurrection for an illuminating case study), but as mentioned, this is no ordinary horror franchise. The character of Jason is arguably at its best when he's written in a tongue-in-cheek way, and it works wonders in this film especially, after the joyless A New Beginning that preceded it.
This film isn't as far out as Jason Takes Manhattan or Jason X, so there's still some actual horror and substance; but there's also a bunch of entertainment value, as the film has fun with itself which made for a fresh change of pace. Beloved hero character Tommy Jarvis returns for a final appearance, this time played by Thom Mathews and being the perfect guy to go up against the resurrected and zombified Jason Voorhees in an epic (well, epic by this franchise's standards) final standoff.
2. Friday The 13th (1980)
In a shocking twist, Friday The 13th becomes the only horror franchise I've come across where the first film isn't the best. That's partially because the franchise, while often entertaining and worth watching for fans of the genre, never had a masterpiece in its ranks. The original Halloween and Nightmare On Elm Street films are two absolute masterpieces, as I have mentioned in my list of the top 10 horror movies of all time, but the original Friday The 13th isn't. It's a classic in its own right for sure, and a very decent horror film that spawned an iconic franchise, but it's also deeply flawed. The acting for the most part is very mediocre, with the exception of a young Kevin Bacon being awesome as supporting character Jack. The style isn't innovative and groundbreaking like in many first installments of horror films, but rather the style of a typical 80's slasher film. And, Jason Voorhees isn't the main villain yet - Betsy Palmer's Mrs. Voorhees is an okay villain, but certainly not as scary and memorable as his son who would take over the franchise in the sequels.
Why would I put a film with lame acting, an unoriginal style and a second-rate villain in second place then, you might ask? Well, first of all, lame acting absolutely defines this franchise and is present in pretty much every installment. And while the style of horror isn't exactly original, it isn't bad either: I like the slasher genre in its own way, after all, and this manages to be a very above-average slasher with its exciting horror sequences and thrilling climax. But most importantly of all comes the lore. Perhaps my favorite part of the Friday The 13th franchise is the well-built lore around the cursed Crystal Lake, the mysterious drowned boy, and all the supernatural phenomena that happens around it. And this is the film that created that, making for conversation scenes creepier than any of the actual kills in the film, and building a world that would spawn several entertaining sequels. It's far from perfect, but it got a lot right and started a franchise as successful and cult-followed as it is strange and flawed.
1. Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
It kills me how this franchise has both "The Final Chapter" and "The Final Friday" in its titles and neither one wound up being the final film of the series. That being said, this fourth film of the franchise is even a notch above the original, thus being the best that the series has had to offer. My opinion of this film may be boosted by the fact that the watching experience was so memorable, but then again, one person's movie ranking isn't meant to be objective.
The Final Chapter is not a perfect horror movie, but it is the perfect Friday The 13th movie. The franchise itself has some deep-rooted issues that prevent it from producing a truly great movie - namely that the balance of a ridiculous premise and the want for actual horror is impossible to get completely right. But this fourth installment of the franchise is absolutely the best version of itself that Friday The 13th could ever hope to be. There's a lot of well-built horror, but also a bunch of entertainment as the film doesn't exactly feel too serious while still being focused. Jason Voorhees is a terrifying villain here but also a well-written one, as the film delves into his traumatic past and psychosexual motivations like no other.
The film gains a lot from having perfect pacing (neither the creepy build-up of the first act nor the intense showdown of the final act feel too long), as well as having moving parts: for the first time, it isn't simply a group of horny teenagers dying off one by one. There's also a huntsman in the woods looking for vengeance against Jason for killing his sister, as well as a family with a child who have a cabin nearby and get sucked into the action. The movie benefits from having these storylines and characters one actually cares about - especially the hero Tommy Jarvis, who has his first appearance here and is wonderfully played by 80's child star Corey Feldman. With a perfect pace, a great balance of horror and entertainment elements, a likable hero, a terrifying villain and an intense final act, this is the best installment that the franchise has had to offer.
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The Final Chapter is not a perfect horror movie, but it is the perfect Friday The 13th movie. The franchise itself has some deep-rooted issues that prevent it from producing a truly great movie - namely that the balance of a ridiculous premise and the want for actual horror is impossible to get completely right. But this fourth installment of the franchise is absolutely the best version of itself that Friday The 13th could ever hope to be. There's a lot of well-built horror, but also a bunch of entertainment as the film doesn't exactly feel too serious while still being focused. Jason Voorhees is a terrifying villain here but also a well-written one, as the film delves into his traumatic past and psychosexual motivations like no other.
The film gains a lot from having perfect pacing (neither the creepy build-up of the first act nor the intense showdown of the final act feel too long), as well as having moving parts: for the first time, it isn't simply a group of horny teenagers dying off one by one. There's also a huntsman in the woods looking for vengeance against Jason for killing his sister, as well as a family with a child who have a cabin nearby and get sucked into the action. The movie benefits from having these storylines and characters one actually cares about - especially the hero Tommy Jarvis, who has his first appearance here and is wonderfully played by 80's child star Corey Feldman. With a perfect pace, a great balance of horror and entertainment elements, a likable hero, a terrifying villain and an intense final act, this is the best installment that the franchise has had to offer.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my ranking of the top 10 TV dramas of all time, and don't forget to subscribe by e-mail via the text box below!
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