The best and worst Friday the 13th movies according to Rotten Tomatoes

In the realm of legendary slasher franchises, few can challenge “Friday the 13th.” about the crown. Not only did Paramount Pictures make these murder-fests an annual tradition for most of the ’80s because they were so damn successful, but the franchise has evolved a lot from its somewhat humble beginnings. While the series is deeply associated with the machete-wielding Jason Voorhees these days, let’s not forget that he wasn’t even the killer in the 1980 original. That honor goes to Betsy Palmer’s Pamela Voorhees, who killed in the name of her son.

It’s a unique beast among long-running horror franchises. It’s also been a while since Jason graced the silver screen. 2009’s “Friday the 13th” remake was a huge hit, but it was also the last film in the series — for now, anyway. A lot of it has to do with complicated legal stuff that we don’t need to get into right now, but as of this writing, today is a Friday the 13th. So why not look back at movies of the past while we wait on Jason’s on-screen future unfolding?

Specifically, let’s take a look at both the best and worst movies in the “Friday the 13th” franchise, according to Rotten Tomatoes. After looking at the film’s rankings, we’ll discuss whether they feel correct to the fanbase and whether there are other entries that would be better suited for either Best or Worst Entry.

Based on both critical and audience reception, the 1980s original “Friday the 13th.” the highest rated entry in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. Director Sean S. Cunningham’s seminal ’80s slasher has a critical approval rating of 67% to go with an audience rating of 60%. What’s more – and arguably most interesting of all – is that this is the only film in the entire franchise to have a “fresh” rating. The other 11? All “rotten”. More on that in a moment.

As for the worst of the bunch? This is where things can get a little more contentious. Last but not least is “Friday the 13th Part 3” from 1982, also known as the one in 3D. The film has an abysmal 11% critical approval rating to go with a better-but-still-bad 42% audience rating. “Part 3” is directed by Steve Miner, where the franchise really became what we know it as today. This is the one where Jason gets his hockey mask. It’s the pitch-perfect archetype of a bunch of kids getting killed by Jason at Camp Crystal Lake. In many ways, it is the prototypical “Friday the 13th” movie.

That being the case, its ranking as the worst of the bunch may come as a surprise. “Friday the 13th: Part 3” has some of the best kills in the entire series. It also laid the foundation for everything that came after. On the flip side, the best movie of the bunch, according to the popular review aggregator, is the one most unlike anything else in the entire series. The implication is that turning to Jason as the killer never improved the movies. Meanwhile, the moment Jason became Jason as we know him is considered a low point. It’s an interesting perspective to consider.

Starting with the “best” of the bunch, it’s really hard to argue against 1980’s “Friday the 13th.”. It still holds up pretty well to this day, it’s wildly influential, the twist packs quite a punch, and it packs several impressive kills. What more could you want from an 80s slasher? It’s still a little strange to reconcile the fact that the franchise has become known for so much outside of what this movie has to offer, so much so that this hardly feels like a “Friday the 13th” movie on many ways. Regardless, it’s a damn good horror movie.

For my taste, “Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives” is the best of the bunch. Rotten Tomatoes ranks it number two, for what it’s worth. The film’s audience has grown a lot in recent years as it really shifts the tone to something more fun and ridiculous with lots of craft in the kills, rather than something that still tries to be serious throughout. That’s one man’s opinion though.

When it comes to ranking “Part 3” as dead last? It is more difficult to reconcile. For what it’s worth, “Friday the 13th: Part 3” ranked #8 on /Films’ list several years back. The likes of “Jason Takes Manhattan,” “The New Blood” and “The Final Friday” ranked below it. For my money, “The New Blood” is the worst of the bunch, and “Jason Takes Manhattan” is the most disappointing, barely living up to its premise. Jason spends most of the time on a boat before briefly arriving in Manhattan. But that’s a whole other conversation.

I am fully aware that “Part 3” ranks much higher on my personal list than it would for most people. That said, leaving it dead at the end feels dirty. One can’t help but wonder if more modern critics would rate it more kindly. If nothing else, these two films being on opposite ends of the spectrum only serve to highlight how strange and unique this franchise is.

You can get “Friday the 13th” movie on Blu-ray/DVD via Amazon.