Friday the 13th (1980)

60% of critics liked it
(47 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(206,219 ratings)

One of the longest-running horror film series began with this gory shocker from director Sean S. Cunningham, who had previously produced Wes Craven's classic Last House on the Left. Entrepreneur Steve Christie (Peter Brouwer) re-opens Camp Crystal Lake after many years during which it has been… More One of the longest-running horror film series began with this gory shocker from director Sean S. Cunningham, who had previously produced Wes Craven's classic Last House on the Left. Entrepreneur Steve Christie (Peter Brouwer) re-opens Camp Crystal Lake after many years during which it has been cursed by murders and bad luck. The young and nubile counselors all begin to die extremely bloody deaths at the hands of an unseen killer during a rainstorm which isolates the camp. A woman is chopped in the face with an axe, another has her throat sliced in amazingly gruesome fashion, a male counselor (Harry Crosby) is pinned to a door with arrows, and a young Kevin Bacon has an arrow shoved through his throat from below a bed. Victor Miller's script is not particularly impressive, but Cunningham's tense direction, and some remarkable special-effects by acclaimed makeup artist Tom Savini are enough to make it worthwhile. 1950s quiz show regular Betsy Palmer appears as the cook whose son, Jason (Ari Lehman), drowned 25 years earlier while neglected by romancing counselors. Palmer was reportedly cast because she was willing to drive her own car to and from the set. Trivia buffs should note the decapitation scene near the end, in which the female killer exhibits rather hirsute hands clutching at the air. The hands belong to Savini's assistant, Taso N. Stavrakis. Friday the 13th made over 20 million dollars at the box office and spawned numerous sequels. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Sean S. Cunningham
Written By: Ron Kurz
Genres: Horror

In Theaters: May 9, 1980 Wide
On DVD: Oct 19, 1999

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
For all its shoddiness, the film manages, just barely, to achieve its ignoble goals -- it delivers what it promises.
Joseph Litsch, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The whole film is one of the best arguments for resuming movie censorship to come along in years.
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media
Beware of this infamous, sadistic slasher film.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
It hasn't aged well; its nonstyle renders it pretty sedate these days.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Within the dead-teenie realm it achieves a certain classicism
Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Has there ever been a more unimaginative exercise in big-screen terror?
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
What makes the movie work is that the slasher genre hadn't been set in stone yet, and some choices that director Sean S. Cunningham makes in the film that work against type.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
a campfire boogeyman story designed to do little more than build tension and deliver a few well-timed shocks, which it does with precision and even a bit of artistry
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
Timed to coincide with the release of its 2009 remake, Friday the 13th was re-released on standard DVD and got its Blu-ray debut.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
How do you sum up a movie that's really quite awful yet helped define a filmmaking era?
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Whether you want to credit or blame Friday the 13th for its role in influencing modern cineplex cinema is a matter of taste. [Blu-ray]
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm
...a woefully bad slasher flick, complete with an inept cast (including Kevin Bacon in uncomfortably tight shorts); laborious pacing; and an interminable catfight climax.
Christian Toto, What Would Toto Watch?
Friday the 13th set the tone for the modern slasher flick. So you know which film to blame for all those lousy horror films.
Jeremiah Kipp, Slant Magazine
Friday the 13th is the one that started them all, but that doesn't necessarily make it any good, does it?
Jeremiah Kipp, Slant Magazine
You really have to wonder what exactly made the Friday the 13th series so wildly successful.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Josh L

Doesn't deserve classic status among top shelf horror greats like "Halloween" and " A Nightmare on Elm Street", but it certainly isn't that bad. The film has some good cinematography and has that old school horror feeling I love that just isn't there… More
Doesn't deserve classic status among top shelf horror greats like "Halloween" and " A Nightmare on Elm Street", but it certainly isn't that bad. The film has some good cinematography and has that old school horror feeling I love that just isn't there among horror films these days, but the script is lacking. If they would have gone with the "fake" ending I think it would have been a little stronger, but taken as it is Friday the 13th is just a mildy fun, but disposable horror film that for whatever reason gets cited among great films.
Directors C

Friday the 13th is completely undeserving of the reputation it has held on to for the past 30 years next to Wes Craven's masterpiece Nightmare on Elm Street. That's a movie much more influential to horror cinema. Director Sean Cunningham has unfortunately created "The… More
Friday the 13th is completely undeserving of the reputation it has held on to for the past 30 years next to Wes Craven's masterpiece Nightmare on Elm Street. That's a movie much more influential to horror cinema. Director Sean Cunningham has unfortunately created "The Last House on the Left" lite, because it wasn't nearly as scary and is just trashy. It's extremely outdated and it's "protaganists" are cocky and annoying which make me root for the killer a little too much. However I did jump a couple of times and antagonist Jason Voordhees is without a doubt a memorable horror icon. But that's because he's a typical horror villian. It's worth watching for it's cultural significance and a few jumps. Apart from this it's not worth your time. Maybe the sequels were an improvement to this dull start, I dont know. But just because it was the first one. It doesn't mean it's the best one.
Tim S

What began as a rip-off of both Halloween and Twitch of the Death Nerve served as a film series that, in many ways, is more popular and loved than either of the films it ripped off. Now, I'm not saying that it gratuitously ripped them off, but it did steal quite a bit (especially… More
What began as a rip-off of both Halloween and Twitch of the Death Nerve served as a film series that, in many ways, is more popular and loved than either of the films it ripped off. Now, I'm not saying that it gratuitously ripped them off, but it did steal quite a bit (especially in the following sequel). Friday the 13th is Sean Cunningham's attempt at a "really scary movie" mixed with a "roller coaster ride" that you can both laugh at and be scared by. You can't really judge this film based on the quality of its material. It isn't Shakespeare. It's a film about a bunch of camp counslers being picked off one by one by a mysterious killer. In many ways, it's a giallo, but it never seems to be classified as such. It's more about the tension building and the shock value than the actual quality of the filmmaking. It works like gangbusters, of course, despite the lack of any real money to make it or quality of its story. In my opinion it's an excellent start to great a series while not being the best of it. It has its flaws, but the overall quality of the film is enjoyable enough not to be overlook it. It would expand in later entries as other filmmakers came along to make better films, but on its own it's a pretty effective horror film and still has lot of power in its death sequences.
Eric A

This started it all. Nothing more to be said, except you must watch it if you already haven't. Classic.
Martin S

Really good directed. It's far from perfectly filmed....but that's what makes it so good. The end fight was a little weak...but hey...who cares?
Zach B

There is one thing about influential horror films that must always be taken into account: when one that changed cinema is made, there are bound to be countless attempts at cashing in on the accomplishment that that film has made. But, it is rare that a film ends up being so successful… More
There is one thing about influential horror films that must always be taken into account: when one that changed cinema is made, there are bound to be countless attempts at cashing in on the accomplishment that that film has made. But, it is rare that a film ends up being so successful that it is able to break away from being the opposite and becomes it's own film (even tagging along a franchise made up of terrible sequels). Friday The 13th is one of those films that tried to be the opposite of Halloween, but was able to break new ground and was the main topic in numerous debates over censorship due to how graphic the violence was at that time. But, while the deaths were beyond creative, what this film lacks is any real development from any of the characters, being unable to care for anyone, and just dealing with mainly poor acting and a cliched script that is laughable at best. When I first saw this film, I was already aware of this film and it's history in cinema. So, I already knew what to expect from this movie. But, there is something of a charm that works with this film that satisfies the hunger people have to see blood, guts, and gore on screen. And for me, being the young teenager I was when I saw this film, I will say that that hunger was satisfied greatly. Now for the details. This being the main directorial debut of Sean S. Cunningham (producer of the original The Last House On The Left), he does an okay job. There is nothing special with how he directed the film, just okay. Personally, I would of liked it if he was more creative with some styles, but the idea to have the killer hidden for the film actually works. But, while he directed the film, there is one other director that worked on this film as the Special Effects director that needs to be mentioned: Tom Savini. This man, I will say, is the greatest effects artist of all time and this film is an impressive showcase of his talent and how creative he was when making these deaths. They are simple, yet original and effective which have been shown to still freak people out if they are unaware of this film (even more the ending). Now, if this film would have been directed by Savini, I wonder how it would of turned out. Now for the acting. For the most part, same as directing: nothing to brag about. And that is sad due to them having Kevin Bacon in the film. He is a great actor, and for him to give a mediocre performance in this film is just sad. But, due to this being his first film and, from what I have read, he was thrown in for the sex appeal, I guess I can cut him some slack with this film. But the main actor that needs to be said is Betsy Palmer as Mrs. Voorhees. While she has a small role in this film, she is terrifying as this outraged parent. She is scary, disturbing, and a little bit sympathetic at times. Next the score. The score, like that of Halloween, has gone down in history as being legendary. Even more the famous echo beat that is played through out. Now, is it scary? No, not really. But it is effective in making this film fun. Finally the script. They had a lot of potential of making the writing great. They could of made the film well written, given some dimensions to the characters, and make them all real. But, Ron Kurz did not do that. He made the script rushed and just to collect his paycheck. Disappointing. Overall, this film is great if you are a horror film fanatic, like seeing creative deaths, or want to see the origins of one of the most iconic characters in cinema history.
Wahida K

Dont blame them it was their first FRIDAY THE 13th Jason Vorhees was unexperienced in all that slashing.
Chris W

Okay, so this isn't like a good movie in general, but as a genre entry, it's top notch. It's spawned so many imitators and ripoffs it's not even funny. By modern standards it's pretty tame, but it has a decent atmosphere. The kill scenes and make up effects… More
Okay, so this isn't like a good movie in general, but as a genre entry, it's top notch. It's spawned so many imitators and ripoffs it's not even funny. By modern standards it's pretty tame, but it has a decent atmosphere. The kill scenes and make up effects are still top notch, even if they are a little tame and dated. Man, these must have been amazing and super impressive when this film first came out. Nowadays they are just fun, and a good reminder of how effective practical effects can be as opposed to CG. As I said, this isn't really that good of a movie per se, with things like writing, direction, and acting just being average, but they're stll serviceable nonetheless. This isn't the most subtle horror film, but it's a lot better than most of it's sequels and many of it's copiers.
Bently L

I can easily see how this became a horror classic. For me, "Friday the 13th" kicked off all those notable and infamous horror movie cliches. I actually saw the sixth and seventh films in the series before I got around this one. I actually agree with the Tomatometer on this… More
I can easily see how this became a horror classic. For me, "Friday the 13th" kicked off all those notable and infamous horror movie cliches. I actually saw the sixth and seventh films in the series before I got around this one. I actually agree with the Tomatometer on this one. "FT13" wasn't all that. The story follows a group of stupid, sexed up campers who visit the newly reopened Camp Crystal Lake, commonly known as Camp Blood due to its murderous past. Murderous past, eh? Yup, you guessed it. Some knife-wielding maniac is staliking these campers. And yes, they get killed one by one. Lets begin by discussing the deaths. These deaths weren't very exciting. The film relied more on eeriness and jump scenes as oppose to scariness, IMO. I like my horror films to be scary. If not, then it isn't a horror film. I also prefer the deaths to be elaborate and gory. But not too gory. I can get a bit squeamish myself. The deaths in this seem to all be throat-sliding and stomach-stabbings. If there is one death that I enjoyed, it would have to be the one where Kevin Bacon's girlfriend gets pwned with an axe. "Friday the 13th" has some of the stupidest characters I've seen in a film. I did state they were all just stupid and sexed up. And that is so true and annoying. Sex seems to all they care about. Remember the scene where they play "Strip Monopoly"? Oh, how fun! **Rolls eyes** They end up having to stop the game (Can't remember why) and what got me the most is that one of the girls go outside in her lingerie and a raincoat. She doesn't even bother dressing back? What a retard! They just did that to keep balancing the sexy aspect of the film with the horror one. Didn't work for me. I learned a lot from this film like putting your clothes back no matter what. I think the series got better when introduced Jason Voorhees as the killer. The killer in this, Pamela Voorhees, is trying to be like Michael Myers too much. Jason on the other hand, was more original. Hockey mask and machete, I'm in. But the series went downhill from these. But from my POV, this series was never great. The last problem I had with the film was how long it took to pick up. The opening scene was spooky but that was just maybe only the best part. Lame movie that should only be recognized for being so cliched and dull.
Matt G

Ah the first of the Jason slasher series. Grade: D
xGary X

A group of young students arrive at Camp Crystal Lake and are picked off one by one by an unseen killer. The original Friday The 13th was an unashamed cash in on the success of Halloween and it's odd how the franchises became a kind of arms race of idiocy as each sequel became… More
A group of young students arrive at Camp Crystal Lake and are picked off one by one by an unseen killer. The original Friday The 13th was an unashamed cash in on the success of Halloween and it's odd how the franchises became a kind of arms race of idiocy as each sequel became more and more absurd and outlandish as they tried to outdo each other. Neither killer from the original films were supernatural or indestructible as their sequels suggested, each really just very human, homicidal nutjobs. But whereas Halloween had John Carpenter's directorial skill and Donald Pleasance's character to add an interesting dynamic to the equation, Friday The 13th is just an excuse to get some obnoxious teens into various states of undress while a cameraman lurks behind trees/by windows etc etc. The dialogue is extremely trite, there is no characterisation and the killer is not even mentioned til the end when we are "rewarded" with a feeble rip off of Psycho's Norman Bates. The entire production is just plain amateurish, particularly the performances and even Kevin Bacon who became one of the best actors of his generation is going to struggle when he has lines like "A storm's gonna show. It's gonna tear down this valley like a son of a gun." to deliver. Somehow it's achieved cult classic status, but this film is really nothing more than an amateurishly executed, piss weak serial killer movie that seems overlong and repetitive even at 90 minutes.
danny d

the first few were pretty decent, avoid the last 316 of them
AJ V

Considered a classic slasher film by all, and the first slasher film by most, but that would not be a true statement, for this movie is not the first slasher/serial killer movie, there were many before it. The most interesting thing about this movie, I think is that it combined the… More
Considered a classic slasher film by all, and the first slasher film by most, but that would not be a true statement, for this movie is not the first slasher/serial killer movie, there were many before it. The most interesting thing about this movie, I think is that it combined the slasher flick with the camp flick, and used a story that would be considered an urban legend. The movie has some very good suspense (even more so if you haven't heard who the killer is by now). I enjoyed it, but the countless sequels that copy it over and over ruin this movie's power to scare.
Dead A

Well it started out as a slasher movie but that creepy ending changed everything (more like my thought). It was pretty scary, confusing and unrealistic. I think this was okay. At some point it looked pretty obvious and lame. And I alsothink Jack's death looked… More
Well it started out as a slasher movie but that creepy ending changed everything (more like my thought). It was pretty scary, confusing and unrealistic. I think this was okay. At some point it looked pretty obvious and lame. And I alsothink Jack's death looked more real than the rest of others. That was indeed pretty good (made me half death I tell you). And also, one thing that irritated me a lot was 70% of the movie was done in dark. I was tired of doing the guesswork you know. Or is it an idea to cover up the flaws? Or did I watched it in a horrible print? Who knows. Last but not the least, The killer surprised me a little bit. Expected someone else rather than...(see for yourself <a href='http://www.mysmiley.net' title='smiley emoticons'><img src='http://serve.mysmiley.net/angel/imangel.gif' alt='smiley emoticons' border='0'></a>).
Conner R

Simply one of the best horror movies ever made and it continues to be as good as it was upon its release. Even with advances in the genre, this remains to be one of the most well done and effective slashers because it is a lot more than just killing and blood. The visuals, score and… More
Simply one of the best horror movies ever made and it continues to be as good as it was upon its release. Even with advances in the genre, this remains to be one of the most well done and effective slashers because it is a lot more than just killing and blood. The visuals, score and writing are what keep this entertaining and worthwhile. I really liked that not any of the kids were particularly all that good and essentially deserve their comeuppances, but that's what makes the horror more realistic. The first person scenes are still so cool and make for truly creepy and suspenseful sequences. While Mama Voorhees doesn't have anything on her darling son, she still is incredibly psychotic and effective as a serial killer. The camp setting is one of the best places to put a horror premise, it just does wonders.
Jason C

I really enjoyed the hell out of these when I was a kid. So they'll always carry sentimental value for me, that's worth half a star. It's easy to see why studios like to remake these. They don't age well. This one takes too damn long to build. And the mom, eh.… More
I really enjoyed the hell out of these when I was a kid. So they'll always carry sentimental value for me, that's worth half a star. It's easy to see why studios like to remake these. They don't age well. This one takes too damn long to build. And the mom, eh. I like watching Jason kill fuckers. Also, the coolest kill isn't when Kevin Bacon gets the spear through the throat. Alot of people think so, but they're wrong. The decapitation of the mother is badass. After her cranium goes rolling away, they show her arms feeling for her missing head. Nice, add a half star for that.
KJ P

Friday the 13th, has that 80's horror feel that everyone has come to know and love, but here it seems a bit overdone. It has very average and sometimes laughable acting along with a cliche ridden script and death after death. This is normally what horror films shouldn't do.… More
Friday the 13th, has that 80's horror feel that everyone has come to know and love, but here it seems a bit overdone. It has very average and sometimes laughable acting along with a cliche ridden script and death after death. This is normally what horror films shouldn't do. However, if I were to choose the film horror film with every death being cool but laughable, bad acting and stupid campy dialogue, this one would win for sure. It has a lot of plot holes, and it definitely does not rank in the top of the horror genre. Still it was a really fun ride!
Lorenzo v

"You see, Jason was my son, and today is his birthday..." Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to re-open a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning. <center>"You see, Jason was my son, and today is his birthday..." Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to re-open a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning. <center>REVIEW</center> Unlike "A Nigthmare on Elm Street" and "Halloween" this movie has never truly been considered a brilliant movie within its genre but yet it's up there with these two movies as the most genre defining and classic movies. It's of course not that "Friday the 13th" is a bad movie, it's just also one that is being quite standard and formulaic with as a difference that the execution of it all is done just a bit better and more effective than other genre attempts from the same period. In that regard it's certainly true that "Friday the 13th" was a genre defining movie, that set the new standards for later movies. The movie has everything in it that you can expect from a genre movie. Basically all the movie is about a bunch of youngster being killed off one by one at an abandoned campsite. Out of all the genre movies featuring a similar type of concept, this movie really doesn't have the best story but it does have one of the best approaches. It's being kept a good secret who is the killer for a long time and also what his/her motivations are exactly. It makes the movie eerie and suspenseful and also the twists in the story work out nicely for the movie because it isn't really what you would normally expect. It does have a couple of great moments in it and also the ending is quite memorable. Guess the movie could had been a bit more bloody and gorier but that is not what the movie is trying to achieve. It tries to shock the viewer more with its moments, rather than lots of blood and brutal killings. A good genre defining movie from the early '80's.
MisterYoda ?

4 stars
jd c

This one is the scariest of the group. Creepy atmosphere and a chilling performance by Betsy Palmer. This is my second favorite in the series.