Every Friday the 13th Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best (#6 Is Controversial)

Similar to Police Academy, the Friday the 13th series just kept going throughout the 1980s, despite negative reviews. However, unlike Police Academy, the Friday the 13th movies are actually quite good and have held up surprisingly well over time. The franchise has remained popular, even leading to a recent reboot with the Jason Universe. From Harry Manfredini’s memorable score to Jason’s instantly recognizable mask, this series offers truly excellent horror elements.

So, which slasher film really stands out as the best? While Roger Ebert wasn’t a fan, Friday the 13th wasn’t the worst movie ever made. In reality, several films in the genre are actually quite good, and they were all strong candidates for the top spot.

12) Jason X

While some people enjoy Jason X as a campy, unintentionally funny movie, it’s mostly just not very good. There are a few bright spots, though: the memorable scene with the liquid nitrogen, Lexa Doig’s acting, and a funny line delivered by Peter Mensah’s character, Sergeant Brodski, about needing more than one impalement to finish someone off.

While Jason X does have a sense of humor, which is a plus, it’s still a visually unappealing movie with far more bad acting than good. These qualities used to give the Friday the 13th films a certain charm, but they don’t quite work in this installment.

11) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

With Jason X, the filmmakers attempted a return to the original Friday the 13th formula, but set in outer space. This was a significant shift in tone from the previous movie, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, which had been very different.

Jason Goes to Hell feels like a movie conceived by a young, imaginative filmmaker – and that’s actually how it was made! There’s something admirable about that ambition, but the film is ultimately too disjointed to rank higher than near the bottom. Still, it includes a thrilling preview of Freddy vs. Jason, and Steven Williams delivers a memorably entertaining performance as Creighton Duke – easily one of the most enjoyable in horror cinema.

10) Freddy vs. Jason

While Freddy vs. Jason ultimately gives fans the epic monster battle they wanted, the movie takes a while to build up to it.

As a big horror fan, I have to say the story they came up with to pit Freddy against Jason actually makes sense within the rules of slasher films. And honestly, Freddy vs. Jason turned out better than I expected! It’s just a little too polished and didn’t really scare me much, but the good parts definitely shine through. Especially that incredible fight in the third act, and the actors Monica Keena and Jason Ritter really delivered.

Stream Freddy vs. Jason on HBO Max.

9) Friday the 13th (2009)

Okay, so the new Friday the 13th definitely kicked things off strong – the opening weekend was huge! But honestly, as a fan, I have to say the movie itself wasn’t one of the best in the series. It started really well, but it kind of lost steam pretty quickly after that initial burst.

This installment of Friday the 13th features a particularly unlikeable group of characters, making it hard to root for anyone besides the main two. This weakens the movie overall, despite its strong visuals and interesting idea of Jason using tunnels. Ultimately, it’s a fairly typical horror film from the 2000s, and just a bit better than some of the other Friday the 13th movies.

Stream Friday the 13th (2009) on HBO Max.

8) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

Let’s be honest, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood really delivers with its portrayal of Jason. You genuinely feel his immense power, even though the MPAA (now MPA) cut down a lot of what he does. It’s also famous for the sleeping bag kill, but even that scene was heavily trimmed and barely made it into the final cut.

Despite pitting Stephen King’s Carrie against Jason Voorhees, the movie takes itself too seriously. However, the biggest problem isn’t the tone—it’s the extensive cuts made by the MPA. These cuts prevent the film from delivering what fans expect from the seventh movie in a popular slasher series. If the missing footage could be restored, it would likely be a worthwhile investment and appeal to dedicated fans.

Stream Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood on Paramount+.

7) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

Many fans consider Friday the 13th: A New Beginning to be the weakest entry in the Friday the 13th series. Similar to the director of the first film, Danny Steinmann came from adult filmmaking, and it’s noticeable in this installment.

A New Beginning is arguably the most low-budget and rough-around-the-edges film in the Friday the 13th series, and even within the slasher genre as a whole. The attempt to create a copycat killer falls flat, particularly with Roy Burns’ unsettling direct stares at the camera early on. The movie also relies on some huge leaps in logic, even for this franchise. A major issue is the setting – a halfway house for troubled teens – where residents are given almost complete freedom despite their unstable conditions. Leaving vulnerable individuals with so little supervision is unrealistic, and giving someone with a history of anger, like the character Vic, access to a weapon like an axe is a recipe for disaster. However, all these flaws are strangely what make A New Beginning so strangely enjoyable. Like Part III, the film’s gritty, low-budget aesthetic actually works in its favor.

Stream Friday the 13th: A New Beginning on Paramount+.

6) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

Many fans consider Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan the truly enjoyable, unintentionally funny installment, not Jason X. Let’s look at the beginning of Jason Takes Manhattan. Jim and Suzi are on a houseboat on Camp Crystal Lake – it’s never explained how it got there. Jim tries to scare Suzi with Jason’s mask, and it’s clearly the same one Jason wore in Friday the 13th Part III, complete with the axe mark from when Chris Higgins attacked him. Jason then appears and kills them. The houseboat then mysteriously floats towards the SS Lazarus, which is where most of the movie takes place. The film never explains how the boat escaped the lake, or if Jason somehow steered it. This illogical sequence is part of what makes the movie so entertaining.

This movie isn’t exactly brilliant, although it has a couple of fun, self-aware moments when the setting shifts from Vancouver to New York City. It does feature a bizarre scene with a hot rock jammed into someone’s chest and a surprisingly good boxing match – better than most in the Rocky films, actually. It’s hard to tell if the filmmakers were completely clueless or brilliantly intentional, but the result is a charming and fitting end to the era of Paramount movies it represents.

Stream Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan on Paramount+.

5) Friday the 13th Part III

While some consider it the weakest of the original four Friday the 13th movies, Friday the 13th Part III is widely regarded as the best 3D horror film of the 1980s. It’s also a crucial film in the entire Friday the 13th series.

Okay, let me tell you, Friday the 13th Part III is surprisingly effective – and I think the slightly cheap, hazy look actually helps. It was shot with that 80s 3D technology, and the darkness really works with the vibe of the series. Honestly, I think it’s the scariest Friday the 13th film. A lot of that comes down to Richard Brooker’s portrayal of Jason; he’s just incredibly menacing, especially the way the director keeps him lurking in the background, always just out of sight of the victims. That scene with Vera and the spear gun, or him just casually tossing around farm equipment… it’s peak Jason, and no disrespect to Kane Hodder, but this is the definitive version. Plus, this is the movie where Jason gets the hockey mask, and it’s never looked better. Seriously, it’s a classic for a reason.

Stream Friday the 13th Part III on Peacock.

4) Friday the 13th Part 2

While it might seem strange, Friday the 13th Part 2 is actually a stronger movie than the first one. A lot of people agree that Steve Miner did a better job directing than Sean S. Cunningham, and that assessment is likely correct.

I still think the first Friday the 13th movie has a special something, it felt so real, like a documentary crew just happened to be filming a summer camp getting ready to open when everything went horribly wrong. But honestly, Part 2 gets the closest to capturing that same magic. It’s weird because it borrows a lot from other movies – especially Bay of Blood and The Town That Dreaded Sundown – but somehow it still works, almost by chance! Like, the ‘Sackhead Jason’ look is directly from Sundown, but it’s genuinely terrifying. It just…clicks.

Stream Friday the 13th Part 2 on Peacock.

3) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

After six films, one Friday the 13th movie finally earned some critical praise. Director Tom McLoughlin pioneered the self-aware slasher film—years before Scream or even Wes Craven’s New Nightmare—making Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives surprisingly innovative for its time.

While it’s not particularly frightening, this installment is very rewatchable thanks to its humor and the delightful performances from the entire cast. After the disappointing A New Beginning, this film is the strong continuation of the Friday the 13th series that fans had been hoping for after The Final Chapter.

Stream Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives on Paramount+.

2) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

Many fans consider Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter to be the strongest film in the series, and it’s easy to see why. The teenage characters are more well-rounded, the addition of the Jarvis family adds an interesting dynamic, and limiting the locations to just two – Higgins Haven and the hospital – creates a consistently claustrophobic feeling.

This film boasts noticeably improved acting compared to earlier installments, a welcome change after the low point of Friday the 13th Part III. The sibling dynamic between Corey Feldman and Kimberly Beck feels genuine, and the interactions between Crispin Glover and Lawrence Monoson, as well as Barbara Howard and Peter Barton, are compelling. The return of makeup artist Tom Savini is another highlight, delivering memorable and gruesome kills – like Axel’s neck injury, Jimmy’s hand impalement followed by a fatal blow, and Jason’s own demise. Even though eight more Friday the 13th movies followed, the fact that this was originally marketed as ‘the final’ chapter adds a special weight to it, making it stand out even today.

Stream Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter on Paramount+.

1) Friday the 13th

With its impressively realistic special effects by Tom Savini, well-timed scares, a memorable villain, and a gritty, unpolished look that puts you right into the world of the film – feeling like one of the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake targeted by Mrs. Voorhees – it’s easy to see why Friday the 13th is remembered as one of the top horror movies of the 1980s.

Though initially seeming like a copy of Halloween, Friday the 13th almost reaches the same level of excellence. The film expertly builds suspense, like when Brenda hears Mrs. Voorhees imitating the desperate cries of her dead son, or when the camera slowly pans up to reveal a corpse above a couple’s intimate moment. Adding to its brilliance, the film serendipitously features what would become the franchise’s most iconic star delivering its most memorable kill. The original Friday the 13th truly is cinematic gold.

Stream Friday the 13th on Peacock.

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2025-10-30 00:19