Friday the 13th (1980) Review

 

Friday the 13th (1980)

This one’s pretty special, because after introducing him to the franchise through the fan film I reviewed a bit earlier, my little brother really wanted to see this, and boy was his reaction amazing.

Friday the 13th, follows 7 camp counselors, who are unknowingly getting picked off one by one during the reopening of Camp Crystal Lake, which saw the death of a young boy and 2 counselors 20 years earlier.

One of the 4 big slasher films, this is the film that spawned 12 films, one of which where he fights...Freddy Krueger? I digress though. The original Friday the 13th, is in my opinion still one of the best slasher flicks ever made, and holding one of the greatest twists in film history, that only got better as the years went on and Jason got more popular. It left me awestruck almost 7 years ago, and still made me feel like a teenager again these few years later. It’s frightening, eerie, uses the ominousness to its favor, not even showing the killer until late in the third act.

I very much love the story, because for the time, it was original, but also just the perfect backdrop for sex, shenanigans, and murder. Camp Crystal Lake is creepy enough, and with a pyscho killer roaming around from start to end, that doesn’t much help our protagonists, who aren’t even aware the other one’s are dying. It would also be a crime to not mention that legendary delayed overlay of “ki ki ki; ma ma ma” as the shaky camera reels in on the POV of Pamela Vorhees.

The acting is classic 80s, but it isn’t too overdone, as we’ll see as the series progresses with each movie haha. It’s natural though, blending that rebellious teen spirit, with pure ignorance, that the movie works where others would normally fall flat, being a product of its time. Betsy Palmer as Pamela Vorhees is terrific, with her being scary enough without her channeling Jason with the “kill her mommy” lines. Other noteable standouts being Adrienne King and even a pre-Footloose Kevin Bacon!

As I mentioned earlier though, this is a classic for the ages with not one, but two freaking phenomenal twists that I hold higher than almost any, due to their ability to only get stronger with time.

9.4/10