Friday the 13th (1980)
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Friday the 13th Movie Review
Friday the 13th is a 1980 independent slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and starring Adrienne King and Betsy Palmer. It’s a very underrated flick.
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“You’re doomed! You’re all doomed!“
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A group of camp counselors trying to reopen a summer camp called Crystal Lake, which has a grim past, are stalked by a mysterious killer. This is the first installment in this venerable franchise that spawned numerous sequels throughout decades. You’d think that such a famous movie would be renowned by critics, but it’s not now and it certainly wasn’t back then when it was trashed by the likes of Ebert and Siskel.
It is hilarious that contemporary critics found it overly exploitational and too violent when in reality it’s quite tame by today’s standards. This movie deserves more love for everything that it did right and not just for spawning an entire franchise. Yes, it was clearly an indie movie for the time as it was very cheaply made, but I personally prefer my horror to look cheaper as it fits the atmosphere and is scarier that way.
The technicalities are the standout elements of this first movie. Yes, Harry Manfredini’s score is pretty much lifted from the iconic Bernard Herrmann score in Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’, but he was stealing from the best here, so it entirely worked. The sound effects and score made for a chilling, more atmospheric movie.
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I also admired the strong cinematography on display here. Yes, this element was taken from John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’, but again the director took from the best, so the movie ended up being a very good, competent copycat in its own right. The decision to shoot most of the movie from the point of view of the killer was a terrific one as it made the film creepier and more memorable.
There is this very 70s aesthetic to the movie that is quite enjoyable to watch today – the grainy footage, the one location, that interesting POV and the focus on nature. All of those made for a a very enjoyable, classic viewing experience. The editing and pacing are also strong as the flick flies by how fun it is. It made great use of its location and surely Crystal Lake is one of the most iconic horror locations out there.
Adrienne King is quite memorable and good as the main heroine of the first Friday the 13th. She played the horror trope of the final girl very well. But the others are all forgettable, though there is some charm to be found in the interactions between these teenagers, even if the addition of sex as a horror trope was familiar and tired.
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But Betsy Palmer is the most interesting actress here as she played her part in a campy, but fittingly over-the-top manner. You see, this first movie doesn’t feature Jason at all, but it has that final twist that it was his mother all along that was killing these teenagers. Mrs. Voorhees made for an instantly iconic villain and the final confrontation between the two was such fun high camp that really worked.
Needlessly maligned by both contemporary and original reviewers, the first Friday the 13th movie is a minor classic of the horror genre that is quite underrated. Yes, it’s a cheap movie where the director copied from Hitchcock’s Psycho in the score and from Carpenter’s Halloween in the cinematography and POV choices, but he copied from the best, resulting in a flick that is technically accomplished and quite memorable. The twist ending is iconic and that entire third act was gloriously campy and fun.
My Rating – 4
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