“Friday the 13th” is a classic horror film directed by Sean S. Cunningham. The film marked the first in what would become an iconic slasher franchise spawning 12 movies over the next twenty-five years.
The original film is set at an isolated summer camp called “Camp Crystal Lake,” it follows a group of young counselors who gather to reopen the long-abandoned summer camp. The film stars an ensemble cast comprising of Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, and Kevin Bacon.
As the counselors prepare for the camp’s grand reopening, they become oblivious to the dark history that shrouds the area. Decades earlier, a tragic and mysterious incident occurred at Camp Crystal Lake, leading to the untimely death of a young boy. The camp has remained closed ever since, believed to be cursed.
Unbeknownst to the counselors, a mysterious killer lurks in the shadows and begins to stalk and kill various counselors. Ultimately, the killer is revealed as Mrs. Voorhees, the mother of the young boy who drowned at the camp many years prior. She blames his death on the neglect of the counselors and seeks revenge for his death. The film’s ending is marked with a twist as one of the counselors (Alice) manages to kill Mrs. Voorhees. Exhausted, she climbs into a canoe and falls asleep in the middle of the lake. Suddenly the corpse of the boy (Jason) lunges from the water and drags her into the lake. She awakens in the Hospital surrounded by medical staff and police. She then asks about the boy and is told there is no sign of any boy in the lake. She replies, “Then he’s still there” The film ends with ripples on the water, and a franchise is born.
“Friday the 13th” remains a seminal slasher film that has captivated audiences for decades, solidifying its place as a genre-defining classic and introducing the world to the iconic horror icon Jason.
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