The Friday the 13th series is now one of the most recognized horror franchises in movie history. With a history of more than forty years, a dozen films, and several reboots and crossovers, the chronology of this cinematic series may get overwhelming even to devoted fans. Most horror franchises have problems with continuity, whereas Friday the 13th leaps through timelines, genres, and even centuries.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Released in 1980, the original Friday the 13th is the basis of the whole franchise. Shockingly, Jason Voorhees does not don the role of the killer in this one. Rather, his mother, Pamela Voorhees, avenges him by murdering the camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake because they allowed her son to drown. The movie takes place in 1979 and establishes both the place and the tragedy that will plague the remainder of the series. The film was successful and triggered a giant horror boom during the 1980s.
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Part 2 was set five years after the events of the first movie, and it was the first time that Jason appeared in the role of the main killer. As the movie elaborates, Jason did not die in his childhood when he was drowning, and he has been residing in the forest since then. Jason is now a grown-up man and uses a sack over his head in place of his well-known hockey mask.
Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
Part III, taking place directly after Part 2, begins right after Jason was on his first killing spree. This movie also gives us the iconic hockey mask that Jason wears, which soon became one of the most iconic images in horror. This time, the story does not take place at a summer camp and concentrates on a local vacation cabin where Jason carries on with his terrorism. Filmed in 3D, this installment adds a new visual gimmick while cementing Jason’s terrifying image.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
The Final Chapter was not the last movie in the franchise, despite the name. The film begins right after Part III and provides the early plot with a temporary ending. Jason keeps on slaughtering until he is eventually stopped by a young Tommy Jarvi, who kills him using a machete. In the movie, we are introduced to Tommy, who would go on to become a vital character in the subsequent films.
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
A New Beginning takes place five years after The Final Chapter and stars a teenager, Tommy Jarvis, who is still traumatized by his experience with Jason. This film involves a copycat killer who acts like Jason and not Jason himself. Despite fans’ opinions, this film delves into the psychological consequences of the previous attacks by Jason and centers around the idea of Tommy trying to overcome his trauma.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Jason Lives brings Jason back as an undead killing machine and officially kicks off his supernatural age. Trying to make sure that the body of Jason is really destroyed, Tommy revives him together with a lightning storm, accidentally. The now zombie Jason continues his killing spree around Camp Crystal Lake, which has since been renamed Camp Forest Green in a bid to evade its bloody history. This sequel adopts a somewhat self-conscious tone but nonetheless presents the archetypal slasher formula.
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
The New Blood is the first entry in the franchise to feature a new aspect, a telekinetic final girl called Tina Shepard. Having taken place several years after Jason Lives, Tina inadvertently brings Jason back to life when attempting to bring her own departed father back to life. Jason is again released to unsuspecting victims at Crystal Lake in the film. A special touch is given to Tina using telekinetic powers, which makes her one of the most difficult enemies of Jason.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
After The New Blood, Jason is resurrected again, and this time he is on a cruise ship full of high school graduates headed to New York City. Jason finally reaches Manhattan, and he creates havoc on the streets of the Big Apple. The movie is a drastic change in the regular Camp Crystal Lake locale and is highlighted by one of the most iconic moments in the franchise of Jason standing in Times Square.
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
In Jason Goes to Hell, the FBI finally catches and destroys Jason, but his evil spirit lives on. By an unexplainable force, the demonic nature of Jason takes over various bodies in the movie as he tries to reincarnate. The film explores more into the mythical roots of Jason and even gives a slight teaser of the crossover with Freddy Krueger in the very end. This movie is one of the most supernatural and divisive in the series.
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Jason X (2002)
Jason X is perhaps the most outrageous entry in the series that brings Jason into outer space. The film is set in a future of more than 400 years, in which Jason is frozen in cryogenics and then brought to life on a spaceship. The science-fiction storyline brings in cybernetic enhancements, making Jason become Uber Jason. Embracing the premise of being over-the-top, the film provides a sci-fi horror unlike any other film in the franchise.
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Freddy vs. Jason marked the meeting of the two horror icons after years of speculation by fans. Freddy Krueger possessed Jason to slaughter teens in Springwood to reclaim his powers. Later on, the two monsters engage in a furious fight to the death. The film takes place after the events of Jason Goes to Hell and brings the two franchises together, also providing the fans with a long-awaited confrontation.
Friday the 13th (2009 Reboot)
The 2009 reboot reimagines the early films, combining elements from the first few movies into a single storyline. In this version, Jason is portrayed as a survivalist who sets traps and lives in underground tunnels. The film starts with a brief retelling of Jason’s origins, then jumps to a new group of victims who stumble upon his lair.
