Jason Voorhees, the hockey-masked killer responsible for decades of murder at Camp Crystal Lake, is baited by what seems to be a helpless victim and lured into an open field. There, he’s ambushed by the FBI. There’s not much left of him when they’re done. But at the morgue, a coroner unexpectedly eats Jason’s still-beating heart. Now controlled by Jason’s will, the medical examiner goes on a killing spree. From there, we see Jason's malevolent spirit jump from one victim to the next, turning each into a puppet for his evil bidding.

Thirteen years into the franchise, Jason Voorhees gets a new backstory and mythology that doesn’t seem to connect to anything from the previous movies. Friday the 13th has always been liberal with continuity, but Jason Goes to Hell is so far removed from the original, that it feels like it’s part of a completely different series altogether. It reveals that Jason has had a half-sister and two nieces this entire time, and claims "Only a Voorhees can kill a Voorhees." The plot even throws in a magical dagger for some reason. Much of this new backstory is telegraphed to the audience through tiresome exposition by a character named Creighton Duke. He’s a self-proclaimed expert on the Voorhees family. It’s good someone is.

As clumsy and convoluted as Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday may be, it’s not without merit. Actor Steven Williams (The X-Files) brings Creighton Duke to life with an over-the-top, melodramatic flair. The film also includes a few engaging cat-and-mouse sequences, with some inventive and creative kills. But it’s the last few seconds of the movie that arguably make the entire journey worthwhile, teasing a future fans had been dreaming about for nearly a decade.

The sleaziest film in the entire series, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning contains scenes that are closer to a soft porn flick than a slasher. The film’s treatment of mental illness is cringe-worthy, even by '80s standards. And while it should be applauded for its willingness to take a huge risk and diverge from the franchise formula, the gamble doesn’t pay off, and the movie falls apart.

After introducing Tommy Jarvis in part four, this fifth installment in the series brings him back. Five years after the events of the last movie, teenage Tommy Jarvis, who has never recovered from the childhood trauma he experienced at Camp Crystal Lake, is sent to Pinehurst Halfway House. Jarvis, now played by John Shepherd (The Golden Child), tries to make his way with the other patients, but things get complicated when people start getting slaughtered and Jason Voorhees is named as the killer.

Still, there are a few redeeming elements. Beyond the threat of Jason, the movie teases an intriguing murder mystery, and to keep that alive, the killer retreats deeper into the shadows, making this movie more atmospheric than most of the others in the franchise. Plus, a particularly brutal kill involving a belt and a tree is sure to leave a lasting impression. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning might not be great, but it offers just enough to keep fans engaged.

After a brief prologue, followed by another brief prologue, the movie follows a group of twenty-somethings who are embarking on what they hope will be a debaucherous vacation in the woods. Their plans are disrupted by a masked murderer.

The 2000s saw a boom in horror remakes. While a few were notable, most were not well received. Films like Thir13n Ghosts (2001), The Omen (2006), The Wicker Man (2006), and Prom Night (2008), among others, failed to capture the same critical and commercial success as the originals. This left a low bar for the Friday the 13th remake. And, to its credit, the movie managed to clear it…barely.

The movie reimagines the original series by taking some of the best parts from the first four movies and weaving them into a new narrative. The tone of horror changed drastically from the '80s to the ‘00s, and Friday the 13th does its best to straddle both lines. It adheres to the cheesy '80s slasher tropes while blending them with the slick seriousness of the ‘00s. This works better for the victims than for the perpetrator. A retooled Jason Voorhees is smarter, faster, and more calculated than before. Robbing him of his instincts and upping his intelligence creates discord during the film’s climax, making it less effective. And because this killer doesn’t feel like anyone from Camp Crystal Lake, even if it’s enjoyable, the movie doesn’t feel like Friday the 13th.

Horny teenagers head to Camp Crystal Lake, an older man warns them to leave, a prankster sets up a bunch of fake scares, lots of people are murdered in inventive ways, and a “final girl” confronts Jason at the story’s climax.

Some of the lesser Friday the 13th movies struggle with failed attempts to update the tired formula. Friday the 13th Part III does the opposite. From the opening shot to the last, it feels like a movie we’ve seen before. The biggest change in Friday the 13th Part III is the inexplicable use of Roman numerals in the title, breaking from the precedent set by Friday the 13th Part 2.

And then there’s the 3D. Historically, whenever the film industry feels threatened, it turns to three-dimensional technology. This pattern emerged in the 1950s when color movies began to overshadow black-and-white films, in the 1980s with the rise of VHS, and again in the 2000s as streaming gained popularity. Friday the 13th Part III is part of this 3D trend, but it takes it to an obnoxious extreme, stuffing the film with one 3D gimmick after another.

That said, the 3D is amusing and comical, even if it’s not meant to be. In addition to that, there’s a reason why the by-the-numbers slasher blueprint works. It’s engaging. Even if there aren’t many surprises, Friday the 13th Part III is loaded with plenty of machete-wielding fun. It’s not the best in the series, but Friday the 13th Part III carries its weight. Plus, this movie will always be special to fans because it’s the first time Jason dons his iconic hockey mask. The sport has never seen slashing quite like this.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood follows Tina Shepard as she returns to Camp Crystal Lake with her mother and psychiatrist to confront a past tragedy. Meanwhile, a resurrected Jason Voorhees goes back to doing what he does best. Luckily, there’s a house full of partying teens nearby.

Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s debut novel, Carrie, is one of the all-time greats. The film’s titular character is gifted (or cursed) with powerful telekinetic abilities, and the concept behind Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is to pit her against Jason Voorhees. On paper, having these two horror icons battle it out sounds great, but in practice, the execution falls just short of the concept.

The first problem was Paramount. They owned the Friday the 13th franchise at the time but didn’t have the rights to Carrie. So, instead of Carrie White, they developed their own telepath, Tina Shepard. Another issue was the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA forced the filmmakers to tone down the gore, which changed the feel and rhythm of the film. But much like Jason himself, the filmmakers powered through.

While the movie has its flaws—uneven pacing, a weak subplot, and an absurd climax—it still has a lot to offer. Jason’s updated creature design is more monstrous than ever, and the introduction of fan-favorite Kane Hodder (Hatchet) as Jason Voorhees adds a new physicality to the character. Lar Park-Lincoln (House II) plays Tina as emotionally wounded, giving her weakness and vulnerability despite her telekinetic prowess. The movie peaks when these two super-humans finally square off. And while their confrontation may not be Jason vs. Carrie, it’s still damn entertaining.

Jason X begins with the infamous killer chained up in a government research facility. After escaping and going on a murderous rampage, Jason is cryogenically frozen and later reawakened aboard a spacecraft in the year 2455, where androids, nanotech, and other computerized wizardry are commonplace. Fortunately for Jason, but unfortunately for the crew of the Grendel, machetes still exist in the future, and the killer sets out to teach everyone on board the original definition of “hacking.”

If Jason Goes to Hell felt out of place within the franchise because of continuity issues, Jason X seems to belong to a different series because of its tone. It’s a sci-fi movie, more akin to contemporaries like Firefly (2002) than anything that has ever come out of Crystal Lake. But there’s a key difference here. Unlike Jason Goes to Hell, this movie is self-aware, wryly cracking jokes that critique the Friday the 13th franchise and science fiction movies as a whole. This gives it an edge, making it an enjoyable, if polarizing, entry into Jason’s universe.

The jokes are hit or miss, and the comedy often undercuts the suspense, but the idea of Jason in space is so outlandish, and the way the filmmakers fully embrace the absurdity makes it hard not to appreciate the bold ambition of Jason X. It’s ironic that the only film in the series set away from the woods of Crystal Lake is also the campiest.

The graduating class of Lakeview High School boards a cruise ship for their senior trip. Refusing to be slowed down by a superficial detail like geography, the group travels by boat from Camp Crystal Lake to New York City. Unbeknownst to them, Jason sneaks on as an unwanted stowaway.

Ranking Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan at #6 might be the most controversial ranking on this list. Critics often cite this as the worst in the series. The movie has its flaws: the title is misleading because Jason is only in Manhattan for about 20 minutes; when unmasked, he resembles a lump of wet clay, marking the worst character design in the series; and the ending is… batshit. But there’s still a lot to love here.

Budgetary limitations forced director and co-writer Rob Hedden to keep the majority of Jason Takes Manhattan on the boat. This led to some of the best cinematography in the entire series. Shots of narrow hallways and small cabins make every seafaring scene feel tight and claustrophobic. Trading the organic shapes of trees and bushes from past films for windows, grates, and railings also makes camera framing feel hard and intentional. The story itself may be uninspired, but Jason’s kills are magnificent. Not wanting to deal with the MPAA after they butchered the previous film, Jason Takes Manhattan opts for blunt force over gore. It works so well. Lastly, when Jason finally makes it to NY and visits Times Square, his heaving, hulking frame against the razzle-dazzle backdrop of the country’s top tourist spot is everything it promised to be.

Freddy Krueger, a supernatural being who hunts children in their nightmares and causes their deaths in the real world, thrives on fear. Without it, he has no bad dreams to invade. To invoke a sense of terror, Freddy brings Jason Voorhees back from the dead. But Jason ends up being more than Freddy can manage, and the two face off.

For years, horror fans clamored for a crossover where Jason Voorhees takes on Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. But it wasn’t that simple. Failed studio negotiations, walk-outs, and rejected scripts left Freddy vs. Jason in development hell for over a decade. But in 2003, it finally came to fruition. The film has shortcomings: Freddy Krueger’s trademark wit is mostly absent, the first act feels rushed, and the direction is underwhelming. But Freddy vs. Jason was still worth the wait.

Freddy vs. Jason didn’t need a compelling story. Any excuse to bring the two slasher legends together on screen would have been enough to draw in audiences. But screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift didn’t just phone it in. They penned a script that honors the histories of both franchises, developing an engaging story that fits within each series’ mythology. This is true before the film even starts, as Charles Bernstein’s creeping melody from A Nightmare on Elm Street mixes with the ghostly echoes from Harry Manfredini’s musical score from Friday the 13th to set the tone. It’s the perfect introduction to get fans excited and once those hooks are in, they don’t let go.

After a suspenseful but irrelevant prologue that feels like it’s from a different movie, Friday the 13th Part 2 brings audiences back to camp. Set five years after the tragic events of the original film, the main story centers on a new group of counselors participating in a summer training program at a site just down the road from the now-abandoned Camp Crystal Lake. As the counselors settle in, the local townspeople warn them about the dangers of Jason Voorhees, but the crew doesn’t listen. Then the killings begin.

There was never supposed to be a sequel to Friday the 13th. But the original film was so successful, Paramount Pictures quickly ordered a part two. With increased gore, more inventive and memorable kills, and a direct embrace of slasher conventions, Friday the 13th Part 2 followed its predecessor in success.

After the original Friday the 13th, a slew of similar films were released. In just three years, genre classics like Prom Night (1980), He Knows You’re Alone (1980), Terror Train (1980), My Bloody Valentine (1981), The Burning (1981), The Prowler (1981), Madman (1982), The New York Ripper (1982), Pieces (1982), The Slumber Party Massacre (1982), Alone in the Dark (1982), and The House on Sorority Row (1982) made their way into theaters. A bona fide movement was happening, and Friday the 13th Part 2 sat right in the middle of it. These movies refined the formula, set the rules, and gave birth to the modern slasher flick. And while all the films mentioned here are worthwhile, only one established an iconic character: Friday the 13th Part 2. This is the first movie to make Jason the menacing threat that he is. It establishes him as a relentless, unstoppable killer who would haunt audiences for years to come.

Siblings Trish and Tommy Jarvis, along with their mother Tracy, move into a house near Crystal Lake. The peace and quiet they hoped for is continually disrupted by partying teens next door. Tracy Jarvis finds it annoying. But what’s really annoying is Jason Voorhees, who’s been going around and indiscriminately killing everyone.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, is a balance of old and new. It recycles narrative motifs from the preceding movies while supplementing fresh concepts and material for a comfortable yet captivating film. This makes it a great choice for fans, but it’s also a good pick for people who are unfamiliar with the franchise. For those curious about Friday the 13th but reluctant to invest the 10 hours and 45 minutes needed to watch all 12 movies, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is a self-contained story showcasing some of the best moments the series offers with relatively few missteps.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter enjoys some of the best casting in the series. Jason, as played by Ted White, is more inquisitive than he’s been in the past. His body language portrays a sense of curiosity. Crispin Glover (Willard) plays one of the teens. And while it’s only a minor role, he chews up every scene he’s in with his charmingly awkward, signature weirdness. And then there’s The Comeback Kid, Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys). His character, Tommy Jarvis, is considerably younger than everyone else in the film. Instead of a debaucherous teenager, Tommy’s a nerdy kid. Plus, the mother-and-son relationship of Tracy and Tommy sets up an interesting duality with Pamela and Jason Voorhees. Much like Jason Takes Manhatten, the subtitle is misleading. This is not the final chapter. But it is one of the best.

An adult Tommy Jarvis, now played by Thom Matthews (Return of the Living Dead), exhumes Jason Voorhees' grave to ensure he’s dead, only for a lightning bolt to strike and reanimate the killer. Jason is resurrected! With a fresh, supernatural element introduced to the series, Tommy embarks on a quest to warn the people of Crystal Lake (renamed Lake Forest Green) of the forthcoming danger. Of course, no one believes him.

In 1986, glam rock was all the rage, with MTV driving youth culture to flashy music and fast fashion. The slasher genre was alive and well, but Friday the 13th was starting to show signs of wear and tear until a rock-n-roller named Tom McLoughlin (One Dark Night) plugged the series into the societal zeitgeist and gave Jason Voorhees a jolt of fresh energy.

Jason Lives embraces the glamor, glitz, and maximalist aesthetics of the ‘80s. But it goes beyond adding a shiny coat of paint to an aging franchise. The movie is both a satire and a love letter to the slasher genre. More than that, it’s an homage to horror in general, sneaking in nods to Frankenstein, Hammer Films, Mick Garris, John Carpenter, Boris Karloff, and others. It’s the first film in the series to treat the movie like a creature feature, pulling Jason from the shadows, stripping him of his humanity, and placing him front and center as a monster. Most importantly, this movie is fun. It successfully delivers humor without undermining the horror. And, much like an ‘80s rock concert, Jason Lives is a raucous good time.

A group of young camp counselors set out to reopen Camp Crystal Lake, which has been shuttered for decades following a drowning and a double murder. Though they are aware of the camp's dark legend and whispers of a curse, they pay no heed. But as they begin to vanish one by one, the terrifying truth starts to unravel.

Screenwriter Victor Miller was honest about how he and producer/director Sean S. Cunningham came up with the idea for Friday the 13th. In the documentary Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013), Miller states it plainly: “One day in early 1979, Cunningham called me up and said, ‘Halloween is making a lot of money at the box office. Why don’t we rip it off?’” But if that was their intent, they missed the mark. Sure, Halloween and Friday the 13th have similarities. Both feature an unstoppable masked killer stalking and slaughtering, both rely heavily on ambiance and slow-building tension, and both are anchored by an iconic music score. But Friday the 13th is dirtier, owing more to grindhouse tradition. It carves its own path to hell, veering down a rougher, grimier trail through the woods, stained with blood and carnage.

Friday the 13th thrives thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s rough juxtaposition of blunt and shadowy camerawork, Tom Savini’s groundbreaking special effects, Harry Manfredini’s eerie score, and Kevin Bacon. This first film isn’t like the others, playing more on mystery and intrigue than straight horror. It uses a simple plot to capture the fear of isolation, creating a tense atmosphere while delivering effective scares. While it isn’t the first movie to take place in the woods, Friday the 13th’s surprising success at the box office and fevered fandom make it the cultural touchstone of campfire horror. Welcome to Camp Crystal Lake.