After Nearly 50 Years, An Iconic Horror Franchise Is Officially Getting The Praise It Deserves With New 2026 Release

After decades dwelling in the critical doldrums, one legendary slasher franchise is finally getting the respect that it deserves thanks to a long-awaited Peacock prequel series. It is not unusual for horror franchises to be overlooked by mainstream critics. Until recent decades, horror on the whole was looked down upon by many reviewers, and this has been reflected in the reviews of even some classics of the genre.

When seminal slasher classics like John Carpenter’s masterpiece Halloween or Bob Clark’s influential Black Christmas were first released, their reviews ranged between muted praise and outright distaste from most critics. It wasn’t until a lot later that these slashers were considered canon classics, thanks in part to the critical embrace of the ‘90s meta slasher boom. Movies like Wes Craven’s iconic slasher Scream were more palatable for many critics, thanks to their self-aware sense of humor.

Thus, when Scream was dubbed one of the greatest horror movies ever, viewers and critics alike inevitably started revisiting the trashy horrors that Scream itself had referenced to see what had been overlooked during the heyday of the slasher subgenre in the ‘80s. In recent years, reboots like 2018’s Halloween have earned the critical respect that traditionally eluded slasher franchises, but the Friday the 13th series hasn’t been so lucky. That is, until the release of 2026’s prequel series Crystal Lake.

Crystal Lake Has The Best RT Critics Score Since The Original Friday The 13th

Credit: Peacock

Starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason and the killer in the original 1980 cult slasher movie, Crystal Lake is a radical re-imagining of the franchise. Not only does Crystal Lake literally change Friday the 13th’s opening scene, but the series also delves into both an explanation of Jason’s apparent invulnerability and immortality and justifies Pamela’s murderous breakdown from the original movie.

Clearly, this fresh take on the material has wowed critics who were left cold by earlier entries into the franchise. At time of writing, Crystal Lake boasts an astounding 87% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to a paltry 48% for 1980’s original Friday the 13th. What makes this contrast even more striking is the fact that the original movie’s Rotten Tomatoes rating is the second highest in the franchise, after Crystal Lake.

It is all downhill after Friday the 13th, with 2003’s A Nightmare on Elm Street crossover movie Freddy Vs. Jason earning 41% and the surprisingly self-aware, witty sequel Part VI: Jason Lives earning 39%. 2009’s remake, unimaginatively titled Friday the 13th, earned a risible 27%, as did the first sequel, Friday the 13th Part II.

2001’s campy space-set sequel Jason X earned 26%, Part VII: The New Blood fared slightly worse with 21%, and The Final Chapter earned a mere 20%. The worst outing of the franchise, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, managed a truly terrible 8%, but Crystal Lake’s complete reinvention of Jason’s story seems to have finally turned the tide after over four decades of failure.

It's About Time The Friday The 13th Franchise Gets Positive Praise

Image via MovieStillsDB

It’s nice to see the praise surrounding Crystal Lake as the show marks a rare Friday the 13th franchise outing that authentically clears the bar to be considered straightforwardly, unironically good. While there is a lot of campy fun to be had watching the lesser sequels of the series, there is also no doubt about the fact that some of the movies in the Friday The 13th franchise are terrible.

While Friday The 13th is still one of the most impactful franchises in horror, the lasting legacy and popularity of the movies don't mean they are entitled to good critical response. Since the Scream series has enjoyed a far stronger critical reputation despite how terrible 2026’s Scream 7 was, it is good to finally see Crystal Lake proving that the Friday the 13th series isn’t incapable of producing work with merit.

Release Date May 9, 1980

Runtime 95 minutes

Director Sean S. Cunningham

Writers Victor Miller

• 
• 

  Betsy Palmer

  Mrs. Voorhees