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Friday the 13th is one of the most iconic horror franchises, following closely behind Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Saw, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Being as popular as it is, with the infamous Jason Voorhees gaining recognition for his savage and brutal serial murders, featuring counselors and teenagers as victims, the last film of the franchise was released back in 2009, well over ten years ago.
Even though the franchise has twelve films to its name, not all of them are particularly terrifying. The first half of the films can be some of the rawest, goriest films produced in the franchise, but others later on like Jason X or Jason Goes To Hell are more laughable than anything else. With Jason Voorhees starring at the unkillable serial killer of Crystal Lake, here are the scariest Friday the 13th films.
12 'Jason X' (2002)
Directed by James Isaac
Image via New Line Cinema Serial killer Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) has been captured by the U.S., and because he cannot be killed successfully, he is placed in a cryogenic stasis, and after an accident, he is frozen in time. A few thousand years later, Jason is unfrozen, and he returns to his rampage.
Jason X is just laughable. Its concept isn't particularly scary either. Rather, Jason X is an interesting idea and concept, but not one that works with the Friday the 13th franchise. Rather, this is probably the worst film of the franchise, and the only scary thing about it is its design and plot direction. Hopefully, if the franchise ever continues, it does not take this route.
Jason X
Release Date April 26, 2002
Director James Isaac
Runtime 93 Minutes
Writers James Isaac
11 'Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan' (1989)
Directed by Rob Hedden
Image via Paramount Pictures By a freak accident, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) is revived by Jim Miller (Todd Caldecott) as he attempts to play a prank on his girlfriend, Suzi (Tiffany Paulsen). Both Jim and Suzi proceed to be murdered by Jason, and he boards the boat that helped in bringing him back to life. From there, he goes on a bloody rampage on the boat, and then in Manhattan, he proceeds to stalk the victims.
Another bad film in the Friday the 13th franchise, it feels like no other film could get genuinely worse. However, when Jason goes to Manhattan, it turns out that the franchise can, in fact, get worse. The only thing that is frightening about this film is the jumpscares that occur throughout the film. But other than that, Jason doesn't belong in a big city. His scares only really, truly work when he is in a small, isolated area.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Jason Voorhees is accidentally awakened from his watery grave and ends up stalking a ship full of graduating high-school students headed to Manhattan, New York.
Release Date July 28, 1989
Director Rob Hedden
Runtime 100 Minutes
Main Genre Horror
Writers Victor Miller , Rob Hedden
10 'Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday' (1993)
Directed by Adam Marcus
Image via New Line Cinema After "dying" in Manhattan, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) returns to Crystal Lake where he attempts to resume his stalking. However, he is ambushed and killed, but his heart keeps beating. This then leads to a coroner, manipulated by the beating of his heart, to eat it. This allows him to possess the coroner, and so begins his reign of terror and murder through the possession of various people. Now there is only one way to kill him, and there is still one way for him to survive.
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday is one of the worst films in the franchise. It lacks the horror that the franchise's earlier films had, making this more of a laugh fest than anything else. This film hints at the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th crossover at the end of the film, which is the most exciting part of the film. Still, despite this film being one of the worst, the concept at least is terrifying, which accounts for something. After all, what's worse than an unkillable Jason? One that can haunt and possess the bodies of the innocent so that he can resume his brutal rampage.
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday
Serial killer Jason Voorhees' supernatural origins are revealed.
Release Date August 13, 1993
Director Adam Marcus
Runtime 87
Main Genre Horror
Writers Jay Huguely , Adam Marcus , Dean Lorey
9 'Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood' (1988)
Directed by John Carl Buechler
Image via Paramount Pictures Young girl named Tina Shepard (Lar Park Lincoln) activates her unknown telekinetic powers to kill her father at Crystal Lake. She returns to the site of his death years later, and she accidentally frees Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) from his watery prison. After gaining his freedom, he returns to his killing spree at Crystal Lake, leading to a fight between Tina and Jason.
A horror icon fight prior to the Freddy vs. Jason battle in 2003, this film was supposed to be a Carrie vs. Jason film, following a stand-in of the titular character of Carrie from Stephen King's works. One of the least scary films in the franchise—sorry Tina, but nothing beats Carrie—Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood is an interesting entry in the series. Its most terrifying aspect is its new take on Jason's design, as, without his mask, it reveals the extent to which his body has decomposed. That image alone is enough to give fans nightmares.
Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood
Release Date May 13, 1988
Director John Carl Buechler
Runtime 88 Minutes
Writers Manuel Fidello , Daryl Haney
8 'Freddy vs. Jason' (2003)
Directed by Ronny Yu
Image via New Line Cinema Unable to escape hell to terrorize people in their dreams, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) attempts to find a way to escape his demise. By manipulating Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) and making him think his mother is alive, Freddy is able to return to the mortal realm, where he and Jason fight each other over the victims of Elm Street.
Freddy vs. Jason is an interesting concept. It's definitely a fun watch, though the terror level isn't as high as it is in other films. Rather, this film is a bit more on the goofy side, returning both horror films to their campy vibes. However, it does get disturbing in terms of brutality and graphic murders, which are now common in the Friday the 13th franchise. Still, having two horrifying terror icons in horror on the same screen is spine-crawling.
Freddy vs. Jason
Release Date August 15, 2003
Director Ronny Yu
Runtime 98 Minutes
Writers Mark Swift , Damian Shannon
7 'Friday the 13th: A New Beginning' (1985)
Directed by Danny Steinmann
Image via Paramount Pictures Five years after Tommy Jarvis (John Shepherd) kills Jason Voorhees, he begins to fear that Jason has returned from the dead when his friends in the group home end up dying. As Tommy tries to uncover whether Jason is really alive, more and more people continue to die, and it becomes a fight for survival.
One of the not-so-popular installments of the Friday the 13th series, A New Beginning is the first film to follow Tommy after his adventures with Jason in the prior film (with another film following after it). Though not as scary as the following sequel, this film is considered a bit experimental, as Jason is not necessarily the killer but rather a paramedic named Roy Burns (Dominick Brascia). This is an interesting twist, though the fact that Jason's actions have been mimicked and copied is horrifying enough for a sequel. Not too terrifying but more disturbing, A New Beginning is definitely worth the watch.
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Release Date March 22, 1985
Director Danny Steinmann
Cast Melanie Kinnaman , John Shepherd , Shavar Ross , Richard Young , Marco St. John , Tom Morga , Dick Wieand
Runtime 92 Minutes
Writers Martin Kitrosser , David Cohen , David Steinmann
6 'Friday the 13th VI: Jason Lives' (1986)
Directed by Tom McLoughlin
Image via Paramount Pictures Following the events of Part V, Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) is now older, still traumatized by the hunting of Jason Voorhees (C.J. Graham). Tommy is released from a behavioral health hospital because of his trauma, and he revisits the grave of Jason to cremate him and stop the horrors that haunt him. However, this leads to the revival of Jason, who dons his hockey mask once again, and as he makes his way back to Camp Crystal Lake where Tommy is also headed, he kills other innocent people.
This film is the first time that the film actually in the franchise follows characters from the prior film. Tommy becomes a familiar icon and character in this film, creating a high-stakes story that viewers are invested in. This is where the horror factor comes in, as viewers are concerned for the characters who are threatened by the undefeatable and unkillable Jason Voorhees. As opposed to being scared due to the atmosphere, fans are now instead scared for fan-favorite Tommy.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Release Date August 1, 1986
Director Tom McLoughlin
Cast Thom Mathews , Jennifer Cooke , David Kagen , Kerry Noonan , Renée Jones , Tom Fridley , Darcy DeMoss , C. J. Graham
Runtime 86 Minutes
Writers Tom McLoughlin
5 'Friday the 13th Part III' (1982)
Directed by Steve Miner
Image via Paramount Pictures Following the events of Part II, Part III follows a new group of friends who visit a cabin at Crystal Lake. While at a convenience store in a nearby town, a few of the friends get into trouble with a motorcycle gang, and this gang follows them back to the cabin. However, while they attempt to burn down the barn next to the cabin, they are murdered by Jason Voorhees (Richard Brooker) who has been hiding in the barn the entire time. After murdering the bikers, Jason proceeds to kill the friends staying at the cabin, leaving all but Chris Higgins (Dana Kimmell) dead.
This is the point in the series where the films begin to lose their horror factor and lean more toward campy-massacre. However, the most horrifying part of this film is the murders that Jason commits on the two groups of people, with him being more creative in terms of killing. From beating someone unconscious to crushing skulls, this depiction of Jason goes all out. No other Friday the 13th compares in terms of gruesomeness that is also still realistic, to an extent.
A group of friends spending the weekend at a remote cabin near Crystal Lake quickly find themselves the target of the ruthless Jason Voorhees. Donning his iconic hockey mask for the first time, Jason embarks on a violent killing spree, culminating in a tense showdown with the final survivor, Chris.
Release Date August 13, 1982
Director Steve Miner
Cast Dana Kimmell , Paul Kratka , Richard Brooker , Tracie Savage , Jeffrey Rogers , Catherine Parks , Larry Zerner
Runtime 95 Minutes
Writers Martin Kitrosser , Carol Watson
4 'Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter' (1984)
Directed by Joseph Zito
Image via Paramount Following the previous installment, Friday the 13th Part III, The Final Chapter follows the next murder spree of Jason (Ted White) as he is transported to a hospital where the nurses and doctors believe him to be officially dead. However, as he awakens from his slumber, Jason proceeds his killing spree at Crystal Lake.
The most disturbing part of this film, and perhaps of the series, is toward the end when Tommy (Corey Feldman), Trish Jarvis' (Kimberly Beck) twelve-year-old brother, hacks away at Jason Voorhees' body when he notices the slightest bit of movement. Not to mention, moments prior, he shaved his head completely to make himself look like a young Jason Voorhees. The disturbing part is watching a child partaking in the murder of Jason out of self-defense, ultimately traumatizing him and his sister in the process.
Jason Voorhees returns to continue his killing spree, targeting a new group of teens and the Jarvis family. As the body count rises, young Tommy Jarvis discovers a way to potentially end Jason’s reign of terror once and for all in what is meant to be the series' final installment.
Release Date April 13, 1984
Director Joseph Zito
Runtime 91 Minutes
Writers Barney Cohen
3 'Friday the 13th' (2009)
Directed by Marcus Nispel
Image Via Warner Bros. Thirty years after Pamela Voorhees' (Nana Visitor) death, Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears) goes on a killing spree and kills a group of teenagers camping at Crystal Lake. Six weeks later, another group of friends go to Crystal Lake to stay at a summer cabin. Meanwhile, Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki) searches for his sister, Whitney Miller (Amanda Righetti), who went missing when Jason slaughtered the first group of teens six weeks prior. With the help of Jenna (Danielle Panabaker), who is staying at the summer cabin, the two search for Whitney while Jason goes on another killing spree.
If the 80s and 90s were known for anything, it was the cheesy and corny horror games that were made. From Halloween and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to The Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, all horror flicks were a campy kind of horror, which sometimes made these films both laughable and frightening. However, remakes tend to add to the terror factor, as more modern films tend to get rid of the campiness and instead lean more towards horror. The 2009 remake of Friday the 13th is actually well-made, creating a cohesive story from start to finish that first-time fans and old fans will appreciate.
Release Date February 13, 2009
Runtime 97 minutes
2 'Friday the 13th Part II' (1981)
Directed by Steve Miner
Image via Paramount Pictures Friday the 13th Part II takes place five years after the slaughter at Camp Crystal Lake. Paul Holt (John Furey) reopens a school near this lake to train counselors, and he relays the hauntings of the camp regarding the murders committed by Ms. Voorhees and her son, who now roams the woods near the lake to avenge his mother. Soon after, one by one, camp counselors are being killed off by another serial killer in a burlap sack.
The sequel to the first film in this franchise is the second scariest film. This time, it focuses solely on Jason Voorhees (Steve Daskewisz) as the serial killer. Though nothing could top the ending of the first film, this sequel's depiction of Jason is rather frightening unlike later films, where he wears a hockey goalie mask, which is part of his iconic look. However, his most frightening look is with the burlap sack which adds a bit of fear into viewers who look at this design. Maybe it works best because fans are used to the goalie mask, and seeing him in a burlap sack is a rather uncanny sight.
Friday the 13th Part 2
Release Date May 1, 1981
Director Steve Miner
Cast Amy Steel , John Furey , Adrienne King , Stu Charno , Warrington Gillette , Steve Daskewisz , Walt Gorney
Runtime 87minutes
Writers Ron Kurz
1 'Friday the 13th' (1980)
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham
Image via Paramount Pictures Camp Crystal Lake is haunted by the memory of the murder of two counselors. Now, in modern-day, camp counselors are being hunted down by the same assailant at Camp Crystal Lake, and they have to survive the night being hunted down by a brutal serial killer.
The first Friday the 13th is the best film and the scariest of the franchise. It begins the lifelong legacy of Jason Voorhees, which—oddly enough—the film isn't even about. Rather, the brutal killer is his mother, Ms. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), who seeks to take revenge on careless, neglectful counselors who prefer self-satisfaction. What made this film the most terrifying of the entire franchise is the ending of this film, which features a dead and drowned Jason Voorhees (Ari Lehman), who died years prior, pops out of the water and grabs onto Alice (Adrienne King), and when she questions authorities later about Jason, she mentions eerily that he is still there at Crystal Lake. Talk about spine-chilling.
Friday the 13th is a horror-slasher film by director Sean S. Cunningham and follows a group of camp counselors who are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer known to be the site of a child's drowning and a grisly double murder. The film began a decades-long franchise that would eventually lead to the creation of Jason Voorhees, one of the most popular horror icons of all time.
Release Date May 9, 1980
Director Sean S. Cunningham
Runtime 95 minutes
Writers Victor Miller
KEEP READING: How to Watch the 'Friday the 13th' Movies in Order
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