Halloween may have opened the door to the slasher films of the ’80s, but it was Friday the 13th that set the table upon which these ripoff films would feast. It took some time for the franchise to find its voice, and when it did it devolved into self parody over the span of only a few movies. There is a sweet spot in the series, and it is noticeable.
Here, now, is the definitive ranking of the Friday the 13th franchise, scrutinized and analyzed and… who am I kidding, I just watched these things and ranked them based on what I liked. And along the way, I added a few tidbits of information where it was warranted. Enjoy… or get mad. It’s up to you.
2Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
It’s amusing to see THE FINAL CHAPTER title card obliterate the Friday the 13th logo at the beginning of this fourth entry. This was, of course, supposed to be Jason’s swan song, and special effects supervisor and make-up artist Tom Savini returned to kill off his original creation – he even appears uncredited as Jason in the scene where the hitchhiker is murdered, though you only see his feet. Little did Savini know this was more a beginning than an end.
The Final Chapter is the best entry at this point in the franchise. The budget it a smidge higher, and the gore, nudity, and sex is appropriately ramped up (there are even scantily clad twins who show up!). The kills are starting to get more savage and creative by this point, and Jason finally becomes the iconic monster. But beyond all the topless teens and hacksaw throat slashes, this fourth entry has easily the best acting and most involving characters of any of the films. There is a family unit here, and the doomed teen group feels less like a carbon copy of the others.
Corey Feldman is the most memorable star here, mainly because of the disturbing finale between he and Jason when he shows at the foot of the stairs with one helluva buzz cut. It’s the first truly frightening moment of the entire series. But don’t look past a young Crispin Glover flashing his kooky, manic persona as the “loser” of the group. His dance is an all-timer, and was a gyrating mess pulled from the actors own personal repertoire he would break out at dance clubs.
