There are many horror movie franchises that begin with a bang and then slowly dwindle into repetition and parody after multiple sequels. Although there is no bigger money-spinner than a long-running horror saga that can churn out cheap sequels year after year, there are some films that look destined to be forgotten in a bargain bin from the start. In 1980, right as the slasher genre was really picking up pace, a new movie arrived that saw teenagers being mindlessly slaughtered while staying at a picturesque summer camp with a tragic history. The low-budget movie was cut down by critics and audiences, as even its twist ending failed to impress most viewers. Despite that, Friday the 13th was a massive financial success, turning its $650,000 budget into a $59.7 million box office. Now, 46 years later, Crystal Lake has brought Jason Voorhees to the small screen and is doing something the franchise has failed to do in every other project – get positive reviews.
The Friday the 13th franchise produced new movies almost ever year throughout the ’80s, all financially successful thanks to budgets being kept low but critically disastrous with each entry being panned more than the last. After a decade hiatus, Jason X became the first Friday the 13th movie with a double-figure budget and barely broke even, and it was followed by the hugely successful Nightmare on Elm Street crossover Freddy vs. Jason, and a remake in 2009. Then, things went dark on Camp Crystal Lake as the franchise became entangled in legal issues over who owned it for the next 15 years. Now, Jason Voorhees – and his mother, Pamela – is back in what is turning out to be exactly the return the franchise had been hoping for. The new eight-part series arrived on October 15, dropping all episodes on Peacock and immediately jumping to the top of the streaming chart.
For a franchise that has constantly seemed to disappoint, Friday the 13th turned itself into a pop culture phenomenon thanks to its hulking villain. No matter how threadbare the story, as long as Jason was stomping around carving through more unsuspecting victims then audiences continued to turn up to watch. Crystal Lake is a completely different Friday the 13th project, set before the first death of Jason, the one that set his mother on her own murder spree in the original film. Taking place in 1971, a year after Jason tragically drowned in Crystal Lake, the series puts the focus back on Pamela Voorhees as she struggles to come to terms with his death and lives in isolated delusion that he is still alive. Across the series, Pamela – played perfectly by Linda Cardellini – goes on a journey from housewife to cold-blooded vengeful killer, and the story has really hit the spot for many.
Crystal Lake originally debuted with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which then settled on 74% once those later to the party threw their opinions in the ring. Additionally, audiences gave it an 82% approval rating, which is substantially higher than the franchise’s previous audience peak of 60% for Freddy vs. Jason over 20 years ago. The show’s appeal to critics is probably the most surprising shift, as Friday the 13th movies languished around 20-40% throughout the whole franchise. The instant success of Crystal Lake is an encouraging sign for the rebirth of Jason Voorhees in several different avenues. Horror Inc. launched their “Jason-verse,” a multiplatform extension of the Friday the 13th saga which reportedly has already completed its first movie and has several other projects in the works. Additionally, Crystal Lake could certainly have set itself up for a second season if it continues to pull in viewers to Peacock. What is clear is that Friday the 13th‘s time in the wilderness is over, the real question is whether the long-dormant Nightmare on Elm Street franchise can follow suit.
Have you watched Crystal Lake? Does it make a strong addition to the franchise by giving Jason and Pamela a real backstory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
