The slasher genre was revolutionized with John Carpenter's Halloween in 1978, but another movie would come along to use a similar concept and even copy elementsofthe film. It was the release ofFriday The 13th in 1980that quickly rocketed slasher movies into a golden age throughout the 1980s& 1990s.
What began as a simple slasher thriller in the forest with a slight mystery to the identityof the killer exploded into one of the longest-running horror franchises of all time with one of the killers,Jason Voorhees becoming an icon of horror. However, the movies themselves have had an... interesting evolution throughout the decades. What's the worst? What's the best?
While there were some creative and bloody kills along with a likable protagonist, this ninth entry in the franchise was the one that jumped the shark for most fans. Most of the movie doesn't even look or feel like a Friday The 13th what with demonic slugs, possession, and rituals resembling something Clive Barker would create.
The idea of Jason Voorhees hunting his victims through New York City is a fun one, but the majority of this film takes place on a boat and the city segments weren't even filmed in New York except for the famous Times Square scene. One decent kill, Kane Hodder as Jason, and one funny scene in Times Square couldn't save this one.
Yes, this is the one that introduced us to the famous hockey mask that Jason would wear forever after this movie, the rest of the movie is just not good at all with the overuse of things awkwardly pointing towards or thrown at the camera for unimpressive 3D, lame practical effects, and a paint by numbers structure.
Part V of the series sought to go in a different direction with Jason Voorhees dead, whichwas not a bad idea, but with a murder mystery where the culprit is obvious along with kills that were ruined by the MPAA, this movie becomes a dull mess with its only saving grace being the performance of John Shepard as Tommy Jarvis.
The tenth film saw Jason Voorhees cryogenically frozen then reawoken on a ship in space in the future. From that plot alone. you know this is going to be cheesiness at its sharpest. Hilarious over the top kills, ridiculous characters, the introduction of a cyborg Jason, and more just turn this into a popcorn flick that will make you laugh.
Some movies age like fine wine while the original aged not as well. Tom Savini's gore is great, Pamela Voorhees is a brilliantly performed villain, and it has some great atmosphere, but some of the acting is pretty dry and the final girl is not that interesting of a character. We love it for planting the seed for this franchise, but it is not the best.
This was the movie that introduced us to Jason as the killer and he has some great kills in this one with a much superior final girl. However, this one has the issue of feeling almost identical to the first movie until the last ten minutes. This is also probably the least imposing Jason and it's obvious why they changed his look for Part 3.
Related:15 Actors Who Got Their Big Break In A Horror Movie
A bunch of young adults head to Camp Crystal Lake only to be picked off one by one until we have our final girl... but this time, the final girl has psychic abilities. It's refreshing to have a protagonist who can full-on fight Jason. Tina herself is a great lead, and this one introduces us to the legendary Kane Hodder as Jason.
Does it always work? No. Some of the characters are terrible and it has some odd visuals, but compared to some of the insane scrapped ideas for this crossover, this movie is Oscar-worthy. Besides, it's just a fun action horror film that perfectly blends the two franchises together and the fights between Jason and Freddy are beyond amazing to watch.
Related:What Happened To Freddy VS Jason 2?
Nothing was ever "the final chapter" with these slashers, but this fourth chapter attempted to end the franchise with a bang and from that perspective, it works! Jason is a beast, Corey Feldman is an iconic lead as Tommy Jarvis, Tom Savini's gore returned in the best way possible, the kills were brilliant, and overall, it is a great sequel.
So the studio resurrected Jason from the dead as an immortal zombie and it is pure carnage candy from beginning to end. Thom Mathews as Tommy Jarvis is just as great as Feldman, the kills were tamed by the MPAA but still effective, and the movie balances the horror with some great dark comedy for an Evil Dead feel that just works.
Related:15 Horror Movie Sequels, Ranked From Worst To Best
This entry might be cheating since this was a fan film... but that shows how well made it is. Using familiar locations from the franchise's history and the return of an actor that we will not spoil, Never Hike Alone provides a perfect main hero, a Jason that rivals Kane Hodder, and a brilliant thriller from beginning to end. Watch it on YouTube!
Gorgeously shot with some very creative angles, some great main characters, and by far the best and most threatening Jason, this reboot is the culmination of everything fans love about the franchise and dialed up to eleven. This was the last theatrical Friday film we ever got and if we never get another movie... at least the franchise went out with a bang.
Next:The 5 Worst Horror Movie Remakes (And 10 Worth Watching)
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Melody MacReady is a fun-loving woman with a passion for all things nerdy and writing about them. You name it: Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, everything from movies, TV, and more.
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