One of the most popular franchises in the horror movie genre, The Friday the 13th movies have been spun into 12 separate installments. Each film continues the story first laid out in the original 1980 film. Although not incredibly popular with critics, this slasher film series has become massively popular in terms of mainstream cultural proliferation and extensive merchandising. Four of the films boast the feat of being adapted into novels by two separate authors; a testament to the success of the films. The themes of the franchise can be defined through its low-budget production, speedily produced sequels, and copious violence and gore.
Updated on Friday, May 13, 2022: If you're a fan of the Friday the 13th movies, you'll be happy to know we've updated this article with all of the freshest information there is on the franchise.
This extensive universe is centered around the character of Jason Voorhees, a mysterious slasher killer who enjoys stalking his victims before taking their lives. Throughout the progression of the franchise, more is learned about Jason, while he and the world in which he inhabits is expanded upon. Here is every Friday the 13th movie, ranked.
12 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Released in 1989, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan marks the eighth installment in the series. It is set several years after Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, and follows Jason as he hunts a group of high schoolers on a ship making its way to New York. This was the last film to be distributed by Paramount Pictures, with the following films being released by New Line Cinema. The film itself is a good addition to the franchise, but it doesn't reinvent or add an incredible amount to the world. The marketing campaign for this film gained some attention after it was denounced by the New York City Tourism Committee, as it showed Jason slashing through an “I Love New York” logo with a knife.
11 Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is the fifth installment in the franchise and was released in 1985. It stays on-brand with its slasher and gore elements. This film tends to go a bit further with the franchise’s already gratuitous imagery including scenes depicting tons of nudity and copious drug use. This film follows a new killer inspired by the original murderer, Jason, and was originally going to be the first of a fresh original trilogy. However, the film did not fare as well as expected; the sequels were scrapped, and Jason was brought back for the next installment.
10 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is the seventh installment in the franchise, released in 1988, and tells the story of a psychokinetic teenage girl who unknowingly releases Jason from his tomb. The inspiration for the psychokinetic character came from the movie Carrie, and her release of Jason precipitated another round of vicious murders in the area.
9 Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday was released in 1993 as the ninth installment in the series, this film takes place after Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, and is the first to be distributed by New Line Cinema. The story involves Jason’s spirit possessing and murdering people as he attempts to resurrect his physical form. The film had a novel concept but ultimately failed to perform well at the box office receiving the second-worst performance of the franchise.
8 Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is the sixth installment and the final movie to use Tommy Jarvis as the protagonist. The narrative follows Tommy, played by Thom Mathews, as he is forced to deal with the repercussions of accidentally resurrecting Jason Voorhees. This is also the first film to depict Jason as explicitly supernatural, with the previous installments being vague about his background.
7 Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is the fourth installation in the franchise. This is the first film to feature Tommy Jarvis as a character, who in this movie and the following sequels would define himself as Jason’s arch nemesis. The film, like Friday the 13th Part III, was supposed to be the conclusion to the series, hence the name. However, soon after, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning was announced, to be released the following year.
6 Jason X (2002)
This 10th installment was released in 2002, and launches Jason into the future after being frozen for 445 years. The plot takes place in the year 2455 and follows Jason's killing of the group of teenagers who originally found him. This film takes more of a science-fiction direction than the past films and looks at Jason as a sort of scientific anomaly rather than a supernatural being. Although the circumstances are a bit extreme, this film is a refreshing take on the classic villain.
5 Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
The sequel to the 1980 original was released just a year later in 1981. It follows close in step to the original film, depicting Jason stalking and killing a group of camp counselors near Crystal Lake. The sequel wasn't as successful as the original and ultimately grossed $21.7 million with a budget of $1.25 million.
4 Friday the 13th (2009)
Released in 2009 and first imagined as an origin story, this film ended up being a retelling of the original film with changes in Jason’s mannerisms, expressiveness, and mobility. The faster-paced contemporary rendition also gives Jason a bit more backstory, which is aimed at creating sympathy for the character and setting up motivation for his murderous rampage. The film ultimately did well at the box office and was the second highest-grossing film of the franchise.
3 Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
Friday the 13th Part III was released in 1982, and stays true to the original narrative set in place by the first film. The film centers around the original location, Crystal Lake, where Jason rests after being wounded in order to prepare for another murder spree. This film is the first to show Jason wearing the infamous hockey mask, which in later installments becomes a staple of his aesthetic. Friday the 13th Part III was the first and only film to be released in a 3D format and did exceptionally well at the box office and was the third most well-attended film of the franchise.
2 Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Freddy vs. Jason is a crossover film that takes Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street and pits him against the main antagonist from this franchise, Jason Voorhees. It stars Robert Englund as Freddy and Ken Kirzinger as Jason. It is the highest-grossing film of both the Freddy and Jason series with a $116 Million gross worldwide.
1 Friday the 13th (1980)
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Finishing aat the top of our list is the original 1980 Friday the 13th. The production of this film was originally inspired by John Carpenter’s successful 1978 film, Halloween. With an estimated budget of $550,000, the film ended up grossing $59.8 million worldwide, an incredible accomplishment for the low-budget producers. This slasher classic resonated with enough people to inspire a whopping 12 subsequent films and is one of the greatest commercial successes of the horror genre.