Friday the 13th (1980) User Reviews

"Then He's Still Out There"

[sddavis63 · 7/10 · 29 October 2009]

I'll concede right off that it's very hard to be objective in reviewing this movie. The truth is I've never seen it until today, but it's spawned so many sequels and become such a part of popular culture (for better or worse) that it's stamped into your mind whether you've seen it or not. Trying to be objective I'd say - it's not bad. It's not as good as what I would consider to be the classic of the slasher movies (1978's Halloween) but it has some moments of pretty good suspense and somewhat surprisingly to me I found that it wasn't a "gore-fest." There's violence and blood but the murders, while they're portrayed, tend to be shown quickly and the movie moves on fairly quickly. The setting is used pretty well to create atmosphere - the movie is set in a remote camp about to be re-opened after being closed for over 20 years following the murders of two counsellors in 1958. Those murders kick off the movie. There's some decent camera-work, as the camera serves as the eyes of the killer, and at times that effect is used when the camera isn't being used as the eyes of the killer, so there's a bit of uncertainty for the viewer. It is a bit of a chuckle that this movie uses as its setting the classically bad opening of terrible novels ("it was a dark and stormy night.")

The performances were OK, if a little bit forced and artificial at times. Adrienne King did a good job near the end of the movie as the terrified Alice. Kevin Bacon had a role in this as Jack, but it wasn't the lead role, and aside from him no one from the movie rose to any significant stature in Hollywood and there was certainly no Jamie Lee Curtis (see Halloween) among the female leads, although there were many shots of young and cute women in various stages of undress!

Strange to say, but in some ways knowing the basic outline of how the series progresses adds to the suspense at the end of the movie as to the identity of the killer, and does get you wondering how the heck this is going to lead to sequels - or at least to the sequels it led to, although Alice's last line ("then he's still out there") clearly establishes that those responsible for the movie were already looking ahead to the sequels. Not having been really interested in the series before this, I will confess that, having seen the first instalment, I now have a certain curiosity to see how the second instalment is constructed. 7/10

Strangely boring and sometimes toothless in retrospect, the original "Friday the 13th" is really only notable for starting off a long-running and much beloved franchise.

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 5/10 · 11 August 2016]

I'll always have a soft-spot in my heart for the "Friday the 13th" franchise. Especially as an 80's baby/90's kid who grew up in a pop- culture environment where the psychotic hockey-masked killer Jason was known and loved by pretty much everyone... even kids like me who didn't see the films until we were older and only vaguely knew what they were about thanks to the whisperings and hints of our older siblings who were actually allowed to see the movies. (Usually renting them 2 or 3 at a time on trusty old VHS from the local Video King to watch after we younger brothers and sisters went to bed.)

At the time this review is being posted, the franchise has been running strong for well over 35 years. Boasting 10 films in its original continuity, the fabulously entertaining (and dopey as heck) cross- over spin-off "Freddy VS Jason", a somewhat underrated reboot in 2009 and a planned new film due out sometime within the next year or two.

But even a franchise so huge has to start with a small, humble beginning. Before the fame. Before the recognition. Before the birth of the pop-culture idol that the series spawned.

Yes, it all started with a teeny-tiny production back in 1980- the original "Friday the 13th."

It's almost impossible to really discuss this film critically without delving into spoiler territory (which I try to avoid in my reviews), though I will try my hardest to do so.

The film revolves around a group of young Camp Counselors who are prepping the infamous Camp Crystal Lake for a reopening about 20 years after a mysterious double-murder and a tragic drowning involving a young child. However, it appears someone isn't exactly a happy camper and doesn't want Crystal Lake back in business, and this mysterious figure begins to pick off our protagonists one-by- one until a tense climax reveals the dreaded truth...

It's no surprise at all that the film is essentially a glorified rip-off of the iconic slasher-horror that is John Carpenter's "Halloween." Director/Producer Sean S. Cunningham has been pretty candid about essentially wanting to create his own "roller-coaster" version of the Carpenter Classic with this film. Heck, they had ads and posters in the paper before the script was even written.

But the problem I really have with the film is that it all feels so routine. Even often boring and sometimes toothless. While it may not be fair to judge it by modern standards, even for its time, it just doesn't have that much going for it. (Especially as the very same year of release, such classics as "The Shining" and the underrated "The Changeling" were chilling audiences to the bone.) It's a very aimless, meandering film, with sloppy plotting and far too much focus placed on seemingly-pointless sequences for it to attain the "roller-coast" feeling the director was going for. The first half of the film is just too much a chore to slog through. And once the horror finally kicks in, it's just the same rinse-and-repeat formula scene-after-scene, with really only a few gruesome deaths here and there to pique audience interest. All those old clichés and tropes that even at the time had become slightly predictable.

Now, I know what you're saying- those are the things people love about these flicks. The clichés and the gore-galore. But it's so slowly paced and messy in this movie, it's hard to really get into it. It really isn't until the plethora of sequels that the formula is established and the pacing is tightened enough for those clichés and tropes to finally become fun and entertaining.

As it stands, "Friday the 13th" does have its place in horror royalty. But I firmly believe it's more for spawning the long- running franchise that followed and less for the quality of the film itself.

Oh, and I guess it's also kinda famous for introducing some guy named Kevin Bacon as a supporting character... but I'm not sure if he actually went anywhere after this.

(Please appreciate the obvious sarcasm there. I loves the Bacon!)

"Friday the 13th" gets a middle-of-the-road 5 out of 10 from me. It's worth seeing because of its important part in the history of the overall franchise. But it's one of the weaker entries and lacks the style and entertainment seen in later films.

The start of a new generation in horror film-making!

[Captain_Couth · 6/10 · 26 November 2003]

Friday the 13th (1980) kicked started the early 80's slasher film phenomenon that was ignited by Halloween (1978) but fueled intensely by this reworking of the Mario Bava classic "Twitch of the Death Nerve". Once Friday the 13th was released, there was no turning back. The slasher film was part of the American horror film genre and it would remain that way for years to come. A film that launched countless knock-offs, wannabes, sequels and a t.v. series?! Camp Crystal Lake and the Friday the 13th film franchise are a part of Americana. The film is merely a stage for the splatter effects of F/X maestro Tom Savini. They were later toned down for it's American release and were softened even further during it's video release.

The movie itself isn't that great. Technically it's boring. To get the most out of the film you have to watch it uncut. Friday the 13th was designed around Savini's gory set pieces. Watching them with out it is like drinking a mayonnaise soda. I encourage you to seek out the uncut version of this film. Recommended.

A (uncut)

D (American version)

A Classic, genre defining

[Jane FlamE · 24 January 2001]

Without a doubt, the work of Cunningham and Carpenter during 1978 & 1980 rocked the world of the horror genre. Friday the 13th is one of the films that to this day still has repercussions. It demonstrated the importance of setting the tone in horror movies, making the audience themselves feel as if they too were being stalked. Cunningham also was one of the few directors to introduce the idea of a possible female serial killer.

Without this film, Scream's Randy would have never uttered those famous words, 'There are certain rules to surviving a horror movie..' This film combined with Carpenter's Halloween, firmly etched the rules in stone. The creepy music, the infamous "ch-ch-ch-ha-ha-ha", the crude photography and the graphic depiction of the murders of the counsellors all blend together to give a classic piece of film history. It scared the hell out of multitudes of teenagers who, in many instances could see themselves in the victims of the stalker. These weren't bad people getting killed, these were just your typical average American kids, having a good time, getting picked off.

That is what makes this film so defining, that is why, for all its crude and harsh imagery, this is a classic. This is why alot of recent attempts at horror don't measure up. It's not the effects or the blood necessarily, it's the atmosphere and the familiarity that bring it home.It is more frightening to think, "That could be me"

Freaky Friday

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 6 January 2018]

'Friday the 13th' may have been panned by critics when first released but since then it is one of the most famous and influential horror films, the franchise containing one of horror's most iconic villains. The film is popular enough to become a franchise and spawn several sequels of varying quality and generally inferior to the one that started it all of.

Is 'Friday the 13th' an original film in terms of overall story? No, having been, and still is, compared to 'Halloween' (released two years earlier). One can see why somewhat, it is derivative in a way but to me it didn't come over as a direct rip off. 'Friday the 13th' is far from the best when it comes to acting, excepting Betsy Palmer (very good) and Adrienne King (charming). The others are average at best, though it was interesting to see Kevin Bacon in an early role pre-stardom.

Nor is it the best when it comes to dialogue. Much of it is very crude and cheesy. Or character development, while the characters are actually still easy to sympathise with to some extent they are stereotypes that we don't know an awful lot about generally.

However, while it may not be a "great" film, 'Friday the 13th' is great guilty pleasure fun and it is very easy to understand its popularity and influence. It's very gory and gruesome, though not pointlessly so, but it is also very frightening and suspenseful.

This is apparent in the deaths, which couldn't have been more creative or shocking, and the hauntingly eerie music score. 'Friday the 13th' is assuredly directed and moves along at a lively pace. The late reveal is for the better and works very well. The climax is a long way from a petering out one, instead the film goes out on a very strong bang, right up to the unexpected and freaky final jolt clearly inspired by 'Carrie'.

Overall, good fun and very scary even if not exactly classified as great. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The original horror classic!

[jhaggardjr · 7/10 · 29 May 2000]

In 1980, two years after "Halloween" scared the hell out of everybody, "Friday the 13th" was released to theaters. This was a clever knockoff of the John Carpenter horror classic, only this one was more violent and gruesome. That aspect turned critics off big time. But moviegoers couldn't resist. They flocked to see this movie and made it a big hit. I never saw this film on the big screen because I was only 9 years old when it came out. After I saw it on cable a few years later, it scared the hell out of me! It doesn't scare me that much today, but it's a far more effective horror/thriller than the last five movies in the series (parts 5 through 9). They should have stopped making these "Friday the 13th" movies after the fourth film, which was subtitled "The Final Chapter". And you know what's even scarier, they're making part 10. "Friday the 13th" was the beginning of the sick slasher genre that played out during the early 1980s. The first films in both the "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" series' were easily the best. "Halloween" was a great horror film. "Friday the 13th" isn't up there with "Halloween", but it's a well-crafted gorefest.

*** (out of four)

A slasher-star is born !!

[Coventry · 5/10 · 30 October 2003]

Friday the 13th must be one of the biggest mysteries in cinema. Although it's a long way from being a good movie, its success and influence is unnameable ( and even unbelievable ). Don't get me wrong...I'm not at all saying that Friday the 13th is a terrible film or not even worth a watch but - let's face it - the plot idea is pretty dumb, the acting and directing are far below average and they haven't fully used the options of setting and location they had. The make-up effects ( by the master Tom Savini himself ) are excellent, but that alone isn't really enough to create a legendary horror movie in my opinion. Some of the later sequels ( Episode 6 : Jason Lives is the perfect example ) and even a few of the numberless rip-offs are superior to the production.

I suppose the story is pretty much known by everyone know and I even think the identity of the "mysterious killer" of this episode isn't that much of a mystery anymore. Anyway, in case you don't know it, I won't spoil the fun so see for yourself. Although my thoughts on it aren't that high, I do think it's must-see stuff for horror fans. Without any shame, I even admit that Friday the 13th and ALL its sequels are a guilty pleasure of mine. I'll never reckon them as good - or even decent - efforts in the genre, but I'm always up for a little bit of brainless gore slashing. And that's what these series are made for...pure entertainment !! So, in a way, they succeeded after all. They never try to give a thoughtful message to the viewer or something. There are just dumb-looking teenagers being slaughtered...the more the merrier.

Favorite "rewind"-scene : A young and horny Kevin Bacon being brutally killed in one of his first memorable roles.

The OG summer camp slasher

[ontheis · 10/10 · 2 October 2020]

The sub-genre of horror, often hit or miss, has divided horror movie lovers ever since it became mainstream in 1970s. Personally, slashers can be really good if they're done right, with a good story, scares, nice atmosphere, and memorable scenes. This one has it all, and that's why it is so popular even today.

Along with other influential slasher classics of the 1970s, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween and Black Christmas, they created iconic horror villains many TV shows and films try to copy or spoof.

I've watched this one a couple of times, when I was a kid, teenager, young adult, all with different people, and it never gets old or boring. The atmosphere of summer camp in the late 1970s is perfect and nostalgic. Music to create tension is great. Acting is okay, with majority of actors being surprisingly good, if you consider time it was released.

Friday the 13th franchise is perfect fun for summer nights, or to watch through month of Halloween!

An Original Low Budget Cult Movie, With Unknown Actors and Actresses and Lots of Great Special Effects

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 15 November 2003]

In a full moon night of a Friday, 13th, the instructors of Camp Crystal Lake are murdered, one by one, in a night of terror. In the end of the story, a convincing explanation clarifies what have happened. This cult movie was very original and spooky in 1980. Placed basically in one location and with unknown young actors and actresses, it was indeed a successful low budget movie, copied many times in other films. Today I have just watched it again, now on a recently released DVD, and it is still good to see. I regret the sequels, since the story is very well resolved in a credible way without supernatural. This way, it is much more terrifying and could have stopped right here. My vote is seven.

Classic?

[hunter_a4 · 5/10 · 3 January 2003]

Friday the 13th is one of those movies that should appear at the drive-in and never go any farther. It's the kind of movie people go to see just to get their girlfriend scared and make out with her later. And now it's on video. What a coincidence. In short, it's not scary; we never see the killer until the end of the movie, and until then it's weapons in the corner of the screen, or a first-person view. The plot of the movie is better constructed than what I expected from a slasher, and that's a good thing, considering that it's sequels are just Jason running around slaughtering people for no reason, excpet that they're between the ages of 17 and 25. The movie begins with two camp councillors being killed by an unknown stalker at Camp Chrystal Lake in 1957. Fast forward to 1980, where a group of teens plan on re-opening the camp. Of course, someone is there watching them, but we don't know who. A bunch of people get killed, and the killer is finally revealed in the end, and the worst chase ever ensues. (I'm afraid I'm not going to spoil the rest for you, because it's a surprise, but a surprise you shouldn't bother finding out for yourself.) Aside from a good plot, Friday the 13th has nothing, not even Jason (That's right, big-bad Jason doesn't make his debut until Part Two). It's a movie that a lot of people see and that a lot of people liked, but maybe some day, we'll all come to our senses.

A Date to Remember

[Duzniak38 · 10/10 · 2 August 2006]

Friday the 13th. The movie which turned around the horror genre and gave us one of the most unforgettable villains and endings, is, and always will be a horror classic. Friday the 13th doesn't set out to be glossy and glamorous. Friday the 13th sets out to do what it wants to do; and that is, make you sit on the edge of your seat, feel uncomfortable and unnerved, to make you frightened when you go to bed after watching it. Friday the 13th delivers all of the fantastic horror goods. The plot revolves around American teenagers, who are the new counsellors at the apparently jinxed Camp Crystal Lake. These naive, horny youngsters have a one-track mind and break all of the innocent borders which has more depth than you would think. Basically, the message is "Don't have pre-marital sex, or you'll die" just like many of Friday the 13th's predecessors and clones send out as well. Friday the 13th has a variety of characters, all who you could possibly relate to. These characters are then slowly followed and hacked off one by one, in dark, gory, claustrophobic manners, which may leave you frightened in the same way Psycho made showers scary. As the camp counsellors are knocked off one by one, the tension rises higher and higher. Along the journey of carnage, the hugely effective soundtrack really creeps under your skin, highlighting how jumpy and scary the events happening on screen really are. For example when a chase scene occurs, the music may speed up, the tempo rising and jittering, almost moving like the characters on screen are. The acting in Friday the 13th is not bad at all; some of the actors/actresses may be a little amateur, but there is nothing terrible in this picture. The settings are also very effective. The stalkings and slaying in broad daylight and open spaces are a twist in a new direction, showing that not everything has to happen in the dark, in a small isolated house on the top of a hill, so the variation of location makes forests, cabins and even lakes more unappealing to the viewers afterwards, and may leave them creeped out by the aforementioned places. The camera-work is also very effective. The way the camera 'stalks' the victim behind trees and bushes, and the way the camera chases after it's victims as the point of view of the villain is unique and exciting, and adds a more tense and faster chill to the movie. Friday the 13th may play as a clichéd slasher, a story of sex equalling carnage, but it plays so effectively well it is a too important horror movie to simply be dismissed. It collects everything appealing about the 80's horror genre and wraps it up neatly into this fantastic horror package. A classic in it's genre.

A classic horror movies

[martinezmarquespedro · 7/10 · 14 April 2015]

This film is not the best movie of all time, but it's still good. I found that some parts we slept a little, but it comes just 3 or 4 minutes of bored, the rest is quite significant and also almost scary (but do not go too far either). This is not the film that makes the most fear in the world, but I have to admit that some parts were the heart beating fast enough. The murderer of the first part is quite disappointing when compared with the murderer of following components of the franchise. I find it is not as though his Halloween rival, but each his own.

Good movie !!!

Killed harmless pet snake during filming

[TheWinklePicker · 1/10 · 25 March 2021]

Director had real snake killed for filming. Didn't tell owner what was going to happen to it. Disgusting.

Suprisingly special and scary!

[darimoviesthoughtsoffilms · 13 September 2019]

Friday the 13th is a classic masterpiece, it uses a clever sort of storytelling to hide the identity of the killer as well as who the main character is to the end. For a slasher movie, it's not as bloody as a modern slasher, but it still delivers brutal kills. The music and sound effects are all great. The suspense-building is great as you can kinda figure out when someone's is going to get murdered. And without spoiling anything, the acting of the killer is truly terrifying! Some acting is kind of cheesy but that doesn't change mutch. It has a great atmosphere and after rewatching it, Friday the 13th from 1980 is now one of my favourite horror movies of all time! Overall it's a must see movie with a score of 9/10 from me!

Still a classic

[movieman_kev · 7/10 · 11 January 2005]

A group of camp counselors, a young Kevin Bacon among them, are busy trying to re-open Camp Crystal Lake years after multiple murders shut it down, despite the ravings of Crazy Ralph. They are dispatched one by one by an unseen killer. This IS a classic and always will be. Don't get me wrong as it's not perfect. But it's far from "merely a Halloween" clone which some people say. The original Halloween is a perfect classic, but let this film stand on it's own legs as it has every right to. Although I'm saddened about how shoddily Paramount seemed to put out their recent box set. Hell when New Line acquired the rights to the series, yes their Jason films suck, but at least they do right by the fans DVD-wise.Paramount could have done a great service to us by looking back at New Lin's Nightmare on Elm Street box set. It's a shame they didn't.

My Grade: A-

Eye Candy: Jeannine Taylor shows ta-tas and ass cleavage

Overrated.

[server10 · 1/10 · 18 July 2006]

as a fan of horror movies I must say that "Friday The 13th" is overrated. It's so absurd,boring,not frightening or interesting in any way. The acting is bad,very bad,the plot is stupid and the murders so predictable and lame that I almost laugh instead scare.It begins very nice but its get boring after a few minutes .I thought that this one will be a huge movie because it is so popular In the genre of horror movies, but I was really disappointed. I'll give you advice: STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE!,if you want REAL horror movie you must watch THE EXORCIST. it's much better than this crap. Or if you want a slasher movie you can try "A Nightmare On Elm Street" or "Halloween".

Classic beginning to a classic horror series

[BrianCTyler · 10/10 · 17 August 2006]

Friday THE 13TH (1980)

directed by: Sean S. Cunningham

starring: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, and Kevin Bacon

plot: Seven camp councilors head to Camp Crystal Lake to fix it up for the summer. Despite warnings of a dark past and a 'death curse', the teens decide to have a good time anyway, and at night indulge in sex, drugs, and strip poker. Unfortunately for them, a psycho killer is prowling the camp grounds, picking them off one by one. When only one is left, she must discover the identity of the killer and fight for her life.

my thoughts: Ever since I can remember, I've loved this film. When I was a child, it scared the crap out of me. That chilling noise playing in the stalk sequences (which has now become the most famous sound in horror films) haunted my nightmares, and some of the gore scenes were really graphic.

Viewing it now, it is no longer that scary but it is still a lot of fun. I liked how these earlier Friday films ignored the stereotypical teenage characters. There's no slut, no jock, no token anything. Every character felt really natural and for some of them, I cared when they died.

The gore scenes are great, thanks to Tom Savini. We get stabbings, decapitations, and plenty more. Gore hounds will love this. Well since every gore hound has seen this, gore hounds mostly already love this.

And then there's the two key things in making a good horror film. The directing and the music. Sean S. Cunningham is a really good director and establishes the camp setting perfectly. He adds beautiful shots of the wind blowing against the trees, the lake at sunrise, that you wouldn't find in later entries.

The music is also great. Harry Manfredini is one of my favorite composers, because he makes the chase scenes so much more exciting. The music in the final scene also works like a charm.

I forgot to mention that this film has one of the most popular and remembered horror endings of all time. And while it may have stolen from CARRIE, it works just as well here and is the cherry on top of a classic slasher film.

Classic horror

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 12 July 2000]

Not exactly a masterpiece, but not a waste of time either. This film is basically a starters set for the film-buffs who start watching horror films. Premise- a killer is after a bunch of kids at a camp many years after a tragedy to a kid named Jason Voorhees. Some good killer scenes (and Betsy Palmer is very good in this film) but not exactly a great horror film. Classic entertainment anyway. A-

Two words: BETSY PALMER

[loricossette-20061 · 8/10 · 29 October 2020]

Just my opinion, but this would end up being a typical slasher film if not for the absolutely unforgettable performance of Betsey Palmer. She is incredible, unhinged, cannot take my eyes off her when she is on screen, No spoilers! See it just to see a real acting legend nail it.

Slash camp

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 15 September 2015]

Friday the 13th is a notorious slasher horror very much from the word go hence the multiple sequels over the years. Its also notable for an early appearance by Kevin Bacon who plays one of the camp counsellors.

The film is set in Camp Crystal where a group of horny teenagers also known as camp counsellors are getting ready to refurbish Camp Crystal Lake some years after it was shut down when some people were killed.

The town loon, Crazy Ralph warns the kids to get out but we see them being killed off in a gory manner by an unseen killer.

What these kids have not been told that in the late 1950s a young boy named Jason drowned in the lake because the camp counsellors were too busy having sex to notice he needed help.

The film has gory effects from Paul Savini. If you have seen previous films where he has been involved then there is nothing new in those throats being slashed scenes. As for the rest of the film you have kids being horny, playing strip monopoly over the course of the night but like the far superior film Halloween they are being stalked and murdered.

Not all of the film takes place at night, there is an eerie scene when one person hitches a lift in a van but you kind of felt that would also had given the murderer away.

I felt that for some portions of the film it was rather dull and boring. Kind of thought that some scenes were purely filler to pad out the running time.

There was also a lot of stupidity by our heroine after the killer is revealed such as the killer being knocked out and our heroine decides to stop and rest for a bit!

Its regarded as a low budget classic but it lacked a lot of tension and thrills but it does deliver in gore even though its now dated and even looks tame today.

One of the Classic Horror Films.

[movies2u · 23 September 2001]

Friday the 13th sets off when teenage camp counselers travel to Camp Crystal Lake, which is known as Camp Blood. The reason for its name is that many camp counselers have been murdered there over the years. Many of the townspeople believe it is the ghost of a boy named Jason who drowned in the lake years before while the camp counselers had no idea he was drowning. Ever since then camp counselers have been getting slaughtered, so that is why it got the name "Camp Blood". When all the counselers arrive a week before the camp is open, they are there to fix the camp up. But then a terrible storm hits and the counselers are getting killed left and right. Who will survive the night at Camp Blood?

The movie itself is scary and enjoyable yet full of terror. Also, I was surprised to see Kevin Bacon in this film, and he did a great job! Friday the 1th is a classic. I give it a 10 out of 10!!!!

The film that started it all

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 7/10 · 14 November 2003]

Friday the 13th, as we all know, it's the film that started it all when it came to one of the most memorable boogeymen, Jason Vorhees. I'm afraid though that this isn't the film that he stars in, it's actually his mother that started the whole "have sex and die" sacred rule of horror movies. Friday the 13th has kind of a harsh rating here on IMDb, this is a classic in some sense I think, it's the ultimate sleepover movie and still gives me a little scare when I watch it in the dark. Friday the 13th also started the cheesy acting, un-needed sex scenes, blood, and gore; wither that's a good or bad thing, I'm still not sure, but one thing that Friday the 13th does deliver is awesome death scenes that will never disappoint. It'll also make you think twice about going to camp.

A group of young adults are opening up Camp Crystal Lake after 20 years, the place has been dubbed as a cursed camp where two young counselors were brutally murdered and a young boy drowned. But the group continues getting the camp ready, but when a nasty storm ensues, the group separates and does their own thing. But one by one, they keep disappearing, but when Alice, one of the camp counselors is concerned with how everyone is not returning, she goes to find a nasty discovery and will have to survive the most terrifying night of her life.

Friday the 13th is a memorable film in it's own right, I know that the performances are horrible, I mean, this is no Halloween, but it's a different concept and scared a lot of people. I remember it scared me as a kid to go to camp, that's for sure. But it has tense music and very scary scenes and it keeps the best going, along with a huge amount of sequels to come, we're up to 20, right? LOL, just kidding, it's only 10 that I'm aware of, but I would recommend Friday the 13th for the horror fans, it's always a fun movie to watch.

7/10

welcome to camp crystal lake

[vampi1960 · 7/10 · 15 September 2006]

After john carpenters success with Halloween,slasher movies were coming out of the woodwork,one of the better slasher movies was Friday the 13th.it started the franchise and also features a then unknown Kevin bacon as a camp counselor.ii all starts in 1958 when a mongoloid child named Jason voorhees drowns in the lake while the camp counselors that are supposed to be watching are screwing.well now its 1980 and camp counselors are being murdered along with others,brutal scenes of gore that caused the mpaa to almost give this an x rating.the sequel was toned down a bit,this was the time hen violence in horror movies was being scrutinized by the mpaa and fanatics.2 good examples were phantasm in 1979,and dawn of the dead(78)which was unrated due to the violence and gore.Friday the 13th is a classic and worth a look.although not great it will give you jolts of panic if watching for the first time.then there's the sound effects that became very popular;chi chi chi haa haa haa haa.the awesome special effects were done by the great tom savini who also did dawn of the dead and maniac with Joe spinell,7 out of 10.

An all time classic

[jonflottorp · 7/10 · 19 June 2021]

This movie is rated 6,4 out of 10 that is totally wrong why did they make more then 10 sequels.

It also get some bonus points for being the original. The 80s slasher genre whouldn't be so big if it wasn't for this movie.

This is a Classic teen slasher.

You should watch it!

GREAT MOVIE!

Surprisingly clunky and boring considering the franchise it spawned

[bgaiv · 2/10 · 1 August 2022]

I finally watched this and was slate amazed how clunky it is. It's not just looking at it 42 years later-- I really like several horror movies around this time, including The Omen, The Exorcist, Alien and Nightmare on Elm Street. Some of those look rather dated, particularly The Omen, but all of them hold up well and were certainly made well for their time.

This one is frankly a poorly produced mess that makes very little sense. How is the killer able to do all these things?

This movie is so poorly made that it feels like a parody of some movie, not the original.