I think I talked about doing this before, but like I figured if I were to rank an entire horror series I'd start out with one of the most iconic (and longest). Friday the 13th holds a very special place in my heart. As a series as a whole, compared against the other iconic ones of the time (Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw) this is the best OVERALL as a whole. I think it holds up without just getting bad for the longest, and it has a simple formula that can be redone over and over and never get old (if you like it to begin with)- because that is what a slasher is.
12th: Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday
Okay huns, honestly… this movie is pure dog shit. There really isn’t MUCH to say about it. It was just a really awful movie. I don’t remember much of the specifics, other than the fact Jason transferred bodies and I have a distinct memory of watching it and seeing just a drastic drop in entertainment quality from Manhattan to this. Like she is kinda forgettable and the gimmick here is awful.
11th: Jason X
This one NARROWLY beats out Goes To Hell. It is a truly awful movie also. There is a difference between fun OTT camp, and then just… this. It took it WAY too far, and was just laughable. This movie truly qualifies as a comedy over a horror. The only positive the movie has, and the reason it isn’t in dead last, is the iconic liquid nitrogen death scene. Other than that… there was a point when the Friday series jumped the shark… and then there was this where the script really should have never made it past the ‘pitch’ stage and I truly question how it even got made.
10th: Friday The 13th Part 7: The New Blood
Speaking of jumping the shark, I’d say this is the movie in the series that was the first to do it. The Jason vs Carrie plotline really lost me. However, this movie is still enjoyable to watch for me. I don’t dislike it, it’s moreso of an eye roll with the telepathic power parts for me, and then enjoying the classic slasher elements. I also want to add in that Melissa did some serious WORK carrying this movie. She truly is one of the most iconic Friday characters, and it is a shame she got lumped in with this movie because she deserves better than 10th.
9th: Friday The 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan
This movie was also a look, but truly I did enjoy her. It also had it’s eye roll moments involved, but overall, it was kind of a fun spin to make the formula fresh. I do think the movie thrived more on the cruise, rather than the ending when they were not on it. I think the intro to this movie is pretty iconic, I still remember watching it as a kid and thinking the girl was so smart for hiding in the little boat cabin, and then just being SHOOK when he knew where she was and killed her. It’s not the best work in the series, but it gets the job done in a way that is rewatchable.
8th: Freddy vs Jason
I debated with myself on whether or not I SHOULD include Freddy vs Jason in this list, but the Nightmare series has more bad than good and probably won’t ever receive a ranking from me. I actually really love this movie. Pure entertainment wise, I’d probably rank it higher than 8th. The only reason it’s here is it just doesn’t feel like a Friday movie (because it… isn’t). However, I definitely respect this movie more than the others below it so it just kinda felt right. I can’t explain it. Great movie tho.
7th: Friday The 13th Part 5: A New Beginning
Controversial Opinion Alert… I actually don’t hate that Jason isn’t the killer in this movie. Like I know that ruined it for a lot of people, but it didn’t have that huge of an impact on me. I actually… really enjoy this movie. Like I think it followed the formula and I get everything I need out of a Friday movie. I think this movie had a solid final girl, and one of the more memorable ones for me. I think the characters this go around were pretty entertaining to watch. I think Demons & his girlfriends death scene is kind of hilarious and iconic. Overall, a fun entry.
6th: Friday The 13th (1980)
Maybe this will also be a #contro placement, but like I feel like the other Friday the 13ths above this do the job better than the original. Don’t get me wrong, this movie is a classic and I think it is a testament as to how strong I personally view this series to be as a whole. I think Pamela Vorhees being the killer is a very smart twist, and it probably would have had more of an impact on me had I seen it in theaters… but tbh most people don’t even realize Jason isn’t the killer in the original movie. This movie set the formula up for the rest of the series though, and for that it obviously gets respect right there… it just wouldn’t be my first choice…. or even in my top 5 of ones to rewatch.
5th: Friday The 13th Part 3
Oh this movie is super fun! I may be wrong, but I feel like the location (like the house & barn) in this one are pretty iconic to the series? It truly has some really great aspects to this movie, I mean for starters this is the first movie he has his iconic hockey mask. I do think this movie (as so many with the element do) suffers just a tiny bit from being 3D, but I also don’t think it is as noticeably bad as some 2000s 3D gimmick movies were and it wasn’t painful to watch through. But I think this movie has a lot of iconic memorable characters to it, and the story of it all was a fun one to follow. She is most definitely Jaxon approved.
4th: Friday The 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter
This one is also probably a controversial pick, because I do think the common opinion is that this is peak Friday and the best movie in the series. This movie is the first to feature Tommy Jarvis, probably the most notable character in the series besides Jason himself. It has the ICONIC twins Tina & Terri (I love these queens SO MUCH) and it definitely capped off the first four as a grouping being the final direct continuation of the series from the previous film. The plot is basic in terms of a friday movie, but it was done in a fun and entertaining way and it definitely is a highlight of the series.
3rd: Friday The 13th (2009)
This remake deserved 0% of the hate it got at the time of release and still gets today. This movie is such a great portrayal on a (at the time) modern take to the series. The whole bunker component of the movie was a bit unnecessary, but everything else about it truly outsells. I think this movie definitely took a more serious approach to the horror of it all, and it was very appreciated on my end as a viewer. This movie was my favorite of the series for a very long time, though it wasn’t the first Friday I saw in my life, I remember watching it on the Netflix DVD queue (remember when that was all Netflix was??) and really enjoying the updated look to it all. It isn’t my favorite of the entire series, but it truly holds up for me and is easily top 3. Oh and it also had Bree who I definitely had a crush on as a kid and she definitely shined and was iconic to watch.
2nd: Friday The 13th Part 6: Jason Lives
In my opinion, this is the Friday The 13th that represents what Friday The 13th is thought of to be. While other movies are lacking a key element or two, this movie literally has every single one of them. I think this is definitely what the series had been building up to the entire time, and this is just a movie that probably won’t ever be topped in the reasons of what makes it so iconic. I can’t really think of a single negative component this movie had, everything about it worked. It had probably the best group of characters who were all actually enjoyable to watch. If I want to watch a Friday movie to watch a Friday movie, this is the one I’m putting on.
1st: Friday The 13th Part 2
What makes a horror movie go from being just a well done horror movie, to a legendary one? Having a legendary final girl. And Ginny fucking Field is a legendary final girl. I mean holy shit Ginny really is that bitch from this entire series for me. She is an extremely likable protagonist who had one of the best and most resourceful run during the climax of the movie. Like putting on Pamelas clothes and tricking Jason into thinking she is his mom is probably my favorite scene in the series. She deserves (and has) some true respect on her name in the Final Girl trope, and I full stan her. On top of that, this movie also gives me everything I need from a Friday movie and is just genuinely fun to watch along the way. It’s easily my favorite in the series and it is because it has the best final girl.
IMO manhattan is the worst film it’s just horribly drab and ugly and idgaf about a single character which sucks cuz mf dvorah from mortal kombat is in it!!
i absolutely love Jason X because it’s so bad and so stupid. KM and Janessa are two of my fav friday characters.
I'd definitely say New Blood, Manhattan, Goes To Hell, and X all kind of upped it up on the camp factor for one reason or another. I'd say at that point its pretty much up to personal preference in what type works best for you because they are all objectively bad movies IMO, LOL.
I really thought when I watched Jason X I'd have a similar opinion... like going into it I knew it wouldn't be a 'good' movie, but I thought that I could enjoy just the absolute OTT nature it had. Sadly I couldn't and it was just too much for my liking, but I get it.
