Friday The 13th Movie Scare Rankings: All 12 Films Evaluated

There aren't many movie franchises out there with more installments than Friday the 13th and each comes with varying levels of quality and scares. The Friday the 13th series spans a wide range from pretty terrifying to downright goofy, which makes it tough to nail down where each ranks.

Regardless of how wacky things get in the franchise, the one thing that Jason Voorhees is known for above all is how vicious and brutal he is when he's killing. So no matter what's happening on the screen, he's always at least a bit scary, which makes him an iconic slasher villain.

Jason X (2001)

The entire premise of Jason X sets the stage for something silly. Since Jason can't be killed at this point, the government cryogenically freezes him and he gets unfrozen over a thousand years later, placing this final mainline entry in the series far in the future.

There's a comedic aspect to every bit of this movie and that's part of why some fans still love it. However, it isn't exactly a scary movie. You're often laughing too hard at the ridiculousness of it all, from the weird concept to the bad special effects, to be scared by any of it.

Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday has the same problem that Jason X suffers from, which is that it's too goofy. Jason gets ambushed and killed, yet his heart continues to beat. He's somehow able to manipulate a coroner into eating the heart, allowing him to control them through that means.

From there, Jason goes on a killing spree in the bodies of various other people. Again, this is too outlandish to work and Jason killing through other people means the audience doesn't even get to see the imposing villain. The only thing this has going for it is the Nightmare on Elm Street crossover tease.

Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

By the time this eighth installment arrived, it was clear the franchise was in trouble. Jason Takes Manhattan sees the villain get revived by a guy playing a prank on his girlfriend. Jason boards their boat and ends up in Manhattan, where he goes on one of his signature killing sprees.

The idea is interesting, as we have to see Jason stalk people in public rather than through a camp or somewhere more secluded. Alas, that's an issue, as he's much scarier in an isolated area. The non-canon Friday the 13th movie has a few jump scares, but other than that, there isn't much to fear.

Friday The 13th VII: The New Blood (1988)

The interesting bit, on paper, in Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood, is that Jason has someone to battle as a young girl with telekinetic powers faces off against him after accidentally resurrecting him from the lake. It was meant to be something along the lines of Jason vs. Carrie.

The fight itself isn't all that special, and by this point, it seemed like the series had mostly run out of ways to scare viewers. There is one standout scene, which sees Jason's mask get removed. We'd seen his face before, but here we get a look at how decomposed he's become, which is chilling.

Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)

After dominating the '80s with several entries, both the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises had fallen by the wayside when the 2000s arrived. A good idea to rejuvenate them was to put them together and let audiences finally get the answer to who'd win in a fight.

Freddy vs. Jason delivered on that promise, yet that's part of why it's not all that scary. This is more about the spectacle of watching them fight, especially since the filmmakers lean in on the campy side of both series. It's a super fun slasher, just not a very scary one.

Friday The 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

It may not have always worked, but the Friday the 13th series deserves praise for experimenting. They often tried new things, including with A New Beginning, where Jason wasn't the killer. Instead, it was a paramedic named Roy Burns, which kind of helps and hurts its scary factor.

On one hand, Roy isn't as intimidating as Jason. On the other hand, the idea of a copycat killer means that anyone could don the mask and do what he does. It makes for an interesting idea and, to be fair, it wouldn't be much different if it were actually Jason. Overall, it's a mixed bag in terms of frights.

Friday The 13th VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Like Halloween, this franchise killed off its villain only to bring him back later. Jason Lives marks the return of the titular character and sent the series into a supernatural direction for the first time. Tommy Jarvis attempts to cremate Jason to put the past behind him, only for it to lead to his resurrection.

Having Tommy as a key character is important because it gave the franchise someone the audience could attach itself to. When you have a character you care about, like Laurie Strode in Halloween, the stakes are raised and it adds to the intensity. Add in that Jason is seemingly unkillable, and he's the biggest threat possible.

Friday The 13th (1980)

In the case of a lot of horror franchises, the original is often the scariest. Everything is new and we have no idea what to expect, which is part of why the first Friday the 13th is scary. We watch several murders happen, yet we never know the truth about who is behind it all.

The reveal that it's actually Jason's mother getting revenge for him is a true shock and remains one of horror's best plot twists. Although it's scary throughout, the ending is where this truly shines. When Alice thinks she's safe and out on a boat, the drowned Jason pops up and drags her underwater for a terrifying conclusion.

Friday The 13th (2009)

On the flip side of the original being the scariest, remakes are often less than. Friday the 13th got the reboot treatment in 2009, in the middle of Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street getting the same. Reviews weren't kind to the film, yet in terms of scares, it's pretty great.

Friday the 13th features some of the most brutal and creative kills in the franchise. The "sleeping bag scene" is absolutely vicious, with the added bonus of the bear trap that stops the victim from getting help. Jason also moves more quickly than he did in the past, which only adds to his intimidation factor.

Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

As is often the case with Friday the 13th Movies, this fourth entry features a Jason who people believe is dead. As he's transported to a hospital, he awakens unexpectedly and goes on one of his famous killing sprees. The production value stepped up as well here. Things also weren't stale at this point, making for some good scares throughout.

However, it's the climax where this truly becomes chilling. A young Tommy Jarvis shaves his head bald and looks like Jason before he coldly hacks away at Jason's body when he notices it moves. Children committing murder isn't something we see often on screen and it's always unsettling.