To celebrate Friday the 13th, The Daily Texan ranks the 12 films in the iconic series, profiling Jason’s adventures at Camp Crystal Lake, Manhattan and even outer space.
- Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)
Horror franchises will inevitably venture into 3D territory, and that’s exactly what the third installment does – rather unsuccessfully. Too much of the plot was shelved in order to create sub-par 3D effects.
- Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Jason Takes Manhattan is generally considered the worst of the series, but it still gets an undue amount of hate. It’s not a great movie by any means, but viewers looking for a silly horror flick can rely on this entry.
- Friday the 13th (1980)
The original Friday the 13th, while iconic, felt like a student film rather than a film for a general audience. At its best, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats for the gore, but much of the film seems as focused on nothingness as neorealist cinema.
- Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Part Two feels like a better development from Part One. The gore remains the same, but the characters and story feel more condensed, allowing the horror elements to stand out.
- Jason X (2002)
For horror villains, heading into space usually means franchise fatigue, and that’s no different in this entry. The humor feels stuck in the early 2000s and the sci-fi elements feel bland, but the goofy acting makes it a fun watch.
- Friday the 13th (2009)
Horror remakes often fail, but this reboot is a much-needed update for the series. It’s the most violent and gory of the entire series, and for once, viewers will feel genuine fear for Jason rather than laugh at his madness.
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Last Friday (1993)
The film attempted to rewrite Jason Voorhees’ story, but failed. Skipping the theatrical version’s gore, the Director’s Cut is more suitable for gore lovers who want more from the Friday the 13th movie.
- Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Sadly, at the time, the production didn’t live up to the expectations it established by pitting two horror giants against each other. Over the years, horror fans have proven more appreciative of the film and its iconic third-act fight choreography.
- Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood (1988)
Despite the hatred, “New Blood” has reached a fever pitch over the years. The film was the first feature for the legendary Kane Hodder, whose stunt work took the fight scenes with Jason to new heights.
- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
One of the most divisive films in the series, the film is more of a horror-comedy suspense than a true horror film, but it has enough kills and quips to make viewers laugh out loud.
- Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (1986)
“Part 6” feels meta and comedic in a way that other works don’t. Alice Cooper wrote a song for the film, Jason provided a James Bond-style introduction for the title card, and so many characters broke the fourth wall that it became a staple of the series. Solid entry point.
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Arguably the most iconic horror film in the genre, The Final Chapter borrows from everything fans love about it. Tom Savini’s gory scenes cover the entire movie in bright red, Jason’s actions are incredibly menacing, and the character feels engaging and easy to care about. When someone mentions horror movies, The Final Chapter is inevitably mentioned.
