The Friday 13 franchise started as a way to cash in on the success of Halloween. Director Sean S. Cunningham released an ad in Variety calling it “The most terrifying movie ever made,” before the film even had a plot, according to Friday the 13th Franchise. Other movies like overnight camp and prom night had the same purpose, but they don’t hold a candle to the sheer effect of Cunningham’s campground classic.
With writing that feels organic to the characters and the time period, Friday 13 set a precedent that 11 trackers attempted to match or surpass. According Letter boxonly a few have succeeded.
12 Jason Goes to Hell: The Last Friday (1993) – 1.8
After Paramount’s decade with the series, New Line picked up the slack with the help of Sean S. Cunningham from the original film and gave audiences the very different Jason Goes to Hell: The Last Friday.
Cunningham brought in the very young Adam Marcus (23 years old when he made Jason goes to hell) to write and direct the film, and few could say he played it safe. Jason Goes to Hell: The Last Friday may be a badly-turned-mess with shoddy acting even for the series, but at least it’s found a way to balance the original films’ layouts and clipped, dry tones with (admittedly nonsensical) quality material. high level body swap.
11 Jason X (2001) — 2.2
Jason wielded his signature horror-movie weapon, the machete, into space for the late James Isaac Jason X.
Considered by some to be the nadir of Friday 13 franchise, Jason X blows most of its relatively “high” budget on the opening credits (where the audience sees themselves rising from hell). The rest of the movie is lousy, cheap, and riddled with the worst acting in the entire franchise, save for Lexa Doig in the lead role and a fun, gruff, military-type performance from Peter Mensah (the man whom Leonidas knocks into the well in 300).
ten Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Jason takes Manhattan is the eighth and last Friday 13 episode from Paramount’s golden years, but many fans would call it more coal than gold.
The franchise was riding on steam, desperate to move away from Jason’s stomping ground, Crystal Lake, for new ground, but budget limitations prevented the project from exploring that opportunity. Instead, the movie is a bizarre cruise ship slasher with tame kills and laughable attempts at clever self-awareness.
9 Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) – 2.4
by Danny Steinman Friday the 13th: A New Beginning has a cheaper feel than even the first film, which is a somewhat impressive achievement.
The film’s director had made a career in the pornography industry before helping a Jason impersonator put on his mask, according to Peter Bracke. Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete Friday the 13th Story, and it shows in the overly explicit film. A new start has more detractors than defenders, but feels more in line with the top four than any subsequent entry.
8 Friday the 13th (2009) — 2.5
The first 15 minutes of Marcus Nispel’s trough Friday 13 the remake is phenomenal. He quickly introduces a group of teenagers looking for weed, having two of them have sex with it, and then kills all but one of them.
But then the film repeats itself, but in a more elongated way with less interesting characters. Compared to the freddie 2010 remake, Friday 13 is a masterpiece, but it’s still one of the franchise’s weakest entries and understandably failed to revive the series.
seven Friday the 13th Part VII: New Blood (1988) – 2.6
If ranking by Friday 13 protagonist talent, John Carl Buechler Friday the 13th Part VII: New Blood would be at the top of the pack. The same could also be said of Jason’s Ranking by Design.
Sadly, the film as it is feels a little all over the place, largely due to the introduction of Tina Shepard, a female lead who oddly has telekinetic powers. It was a strange direction for the Friday 13 franchise to take, and that’s clearly reflected in the lackluster fan ratings for this bizarre installment in the horror series.
6 Freddy vs. Jason (2003) – 2.7
At Ronny Yu’s Freddy versus Jason showed that the success of the director Bride of Chucky was no fluke, but rather the work of someone who knows how to reboot dormant horror franchises.
This fate, curiously, did not happen Freddy versus Jason, which is surprising given that it behaved like a summer blockbuster as opposed to a standard slasher. That said, critics were only so enamored with it, appreciating the deviation from the formula while chiding its adherence to the same.
5 Friday the 13th Part III (1982) – 2.8
There’s something about Friday the 13th Part III it feels like a natural continuation of the first two films while simultaneously being a step in a darker direction.
Jason has never been scarier than he was in Part III, and he’s never been so cold and ruthless. The filmmakers also got away with some of the franchise’s most shocking footage, including Vera’s spear in eye death, future father Andy’s bisection while stepping on a handstand, and pregnant Debbie’s hammock disappearing. It’s a dark film with the best third act in the franchise, but it’s not put together as well as the first two.
4 Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) – 3.1
Steve Miner, a producer on the original, took over the directing reins for Friday the 13th Part II and delivered an equally entertaining and perhaps even more well-crafted film.
However, it doesn’t quite match the horribly inventive and macabre heights of the original, even as it brought the series’ iconic antagonist to the forefront. It also introduced the franchise’s best protagonist, Ginny Field, who was sadly brought to life by Amy Steel in Part II and Part II only. Maybe now that Hollywood is showing respect for classic horror franchises, it can get her in on the inevitable reboot.
3 Friday the 13th (1980) — 3.1
Sean S. Cunningham has never made a notable movie outside of Friday 13and he didn’t lead any of the sequels, but he introduced the iconic Camp Crystal Lake to the world.
the original Friday 13 was lambasted by critics, to the point that Roger Ebert irresponsibly put poor Betsy Palmer’s mailing address on a public forum for all to see. In reality, especially with the release of Seen and its graphic suites, Friday 13 is extremely tame unless compared to John Carpenter’s Halloween or Tobe Hooper The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. With expert pacing and underrated acting ability from much of the cast, Friday 13 is a classic companion film and one of cinema’s greatest achievements.
2 Friday the 13th: The Last Chapter (1984) – 3.2
Jarvis House is one of the most iconic places in the Friday 13 game, just like it’s one of the best places in the movies.
Located right next to Crystal Lake, the Jarvis House is a perfect place for a “finale” Friday 13 because it adds a new dynamic to the mix. The last chapter moved away from the teenage haircut formula of the first three films to bring a single mother and her two children into the mix. Naturally, there are also sex-crazed teenagers moving into the nearby vacation home, but the fourth film in the franchise managed to stand out due to who it primarily followed. Namely, the Tommy Jarvis of young Corey Feldman, the ultimate Friday 13 protagonist if there is one (the series has never favored continuity or favored a cohesive Laurie Strode-like protagonist).
1 Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) – 3.3
by Tom McLoughlin Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Livesis a much better movie than it had any right to be, considering it’s the sixth installment in a franchise with no critically acclaimed installments.
The film is a testament to how big of a filmmaker McLoughlin should have become. Both writer and director, McLoughlin directed a late installment of a somewhat reputable series despised at the time. jason lives is indeed a precursor to Wes Craven Screampossessing the ability to wink at the audience while simultaneously giving fans the kills they paid for to begin with.
About the Author
