As Friday the 13th rolls around this month, there’s no better time to revisit one of horror’s most infamous franchises. The Friday the 13th films, which began in 1980, didn’t just introduce audiences to Camp Crystal Lake; they cemented Jason Voorhees as a pop-culture icon, even if he wasn’t the killer in the original film.
The first Friday the 13th arrived at the height of the slasher boom, following the success of Halloween and Hitchcock’s Psycho. With low expectations and an even lower budget, the film relied on shock value, creative kills, fantastic use of handheld camera shots and an eerie setting.
What it lacked in polish, it made up for in impact. It spawned a franchise that would eventually span twelve films, a crossover, a reboot, video games, a TV show, comic books, novels, merchandise and finally, a theme park.
Jason himself evolved alongside the series. From a vengeful child to an incompetent, potato sack-wearing killer to the silent, hockey-masked figure audiences recognise today. He became a symbol of the genre: relentless, emotionless, and an unstoppable force.
Despite the horror powerhouse that Friday the 13th is now, it was poorly received by critics at the time, described as derivative and badly acted. By all accounts, Friday the 13th shouldn’t have been as successful as it is, but, like Jason, the franchise refused to die and slowly gained more fame (and infamy).
A new entry to the Friday the 13th series is set to be released later this year. Dubbed Crystal Lake, the show will be a prequel to the original film, giving the audience a glimpse into the childhood of Jason Voorhees.
For today’s student audiences, Friday the 13th exists in a strange space. It’s dated, yet nostalgic, shocking yet familiar. Watching it now feels less about fear and more about appreciating how horror evolves into the tropes Gen Z are more than well acquainted with now.
So, this Friday 13th, whether you’re a lifelong fan or a first-time viewer, revisiting the franchise is a reminder that horror doesn’t need to be perfect to be iconic. Sometimes, all it takes is a mask, a lake, and a date that just refuses to be peaceful.
