Jason Voorhees has spent more than four decades hacking his way through teenagers, counselors, unlucky campers and, eventually, the entire concept of good taste. But if you’ve ever wondered which Friday the 13th movie is actually the best, Rotten Tomatoes has an answer, and it might not be the one you expect.
The franchise now spans 12 movies, from the original 1980 slasher to 2009’s reboot, plus everything from Jason in space to Jason fighting Freddy Krueger. And while fans have their own fiercely defended favorites, critics have been considerably less generous to the series over the years.
Rotten Tomatoes’ current ranking puts the original Friday the 13th at No. 1.
The Original Friday the 13th Is No. 1
Released in 1980, Friday the 13th currently leads Rotten Tomatoes’ ranking with a 48% Tomatometer score and a 60% Popcornmeter score.
Yes, the movie that started everything is technically the critics’ favorite.
There’s also a pretty important detail for anyone coming to the franchise late: Jason Voorhees isn’t actually the killer in the first movie. The story follows a group of counselors reopening Camp Crystal Lake, where a series of murders begins taking place. Betsy Palmer stars as Pamela Voorhees, with Adrienne King, Harry Crosby and Laurie Bartram also in the cast.
So if your definition of a Friday the 13th movie requires Jason stalking people with a machete while wearing that hockey mask, the No. 1 movie might already feel like a technicality.
‘Jason Lives’ Is the Best of the Sequels
If you’re looking for the movie that arguably feels most like the Friday the 13th people picture in their heads, Rotten Tomatoes puts Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives at No. 2.
The 1986 movie currently has a 39% Tomatometer score and a 54% audience score. It brings back Jason as the unstoppable killer and follows Tommy Jarvis, who accidentally resurrects him after attempting to make sure Jason is finally dead.
And there’s a reason this one has developed such a following.
Jason Lives was more willing than some of its predecessors to acknowledge just how ridiculous the franchise had become. It mixes the expected slasher violence with a self-aware sense of humor, which helped distinguish it from the increasingly formulaic sequels.
In other words, Jason gets to be Jason, but the movie knows exactly what kind of movie it is.
The Rest of the Ranking Gets Weird
After the first two entries, Rotten Tomatoes’ list starts getting particularly interesting.
No. 3: Freddy vs. Jason (2003) — 42%
No. 4: Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) — 21%
No. 5: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) — 27%
No. 6: Friday the 13th (2009) — 27%
No. 7: Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) — 20%
No. 8: Jason X (2002) — 27%
No. 9: Friday the 13th Part III (1982) — 17%
No. 10: Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) — 11%
No. 11: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) — 11%
No. 12: Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) — 8%.
There’s one particularly funny takeaway here: Jason Takes Manhattan is officially the critics’ least favorite movie in the franchise. Considering how much of the movie actually takes place on a boat rather than in Manhattan, perhaps the title was always setting Jason up for disappointment.
So, Which Friday the 13th Movie Is Actually the Best?
If we’re going strictly by Rotten Tomatoes, the answer is the original Friday the 13th. But that’s not necessarily the same thing as asking which movie is the most fun to watch. For that, Jason Lives makes a pretty compelling case. It’s the movie that understands the appeal of Jason, embraces the franchise’s silliness and still delivers the requisite body count.
And then there’s Freddy vs. Jason, which ranks third despite being exactly the kind of gloriously ridiculous crossover that critics aren’t usually supposed to love.
Ultimately, the Friday the 13th franchise has never really been about critical approval. It’s about atmosphere, inventive kills, questionable decisions and the eternal question of why anyone would voluntarily spend a weekend anywhere near Crystal Lake.
Apparently, that’s still enough to keep Jason Voorhees alive.
