Friday the 13th
feels like a minimalist take on Halloween
(1978). Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, it’s essentially a rip-off of John
Carpenter’s classic, copying its slasher formula but leaving out what made
the original great and elaborating on its weaker elements.
This film is
overloaded with body counts and drawn-out pauses—mainly to let the
stereotypical "horny teenagers" have their moments. The lack of
proper pacing makes it boring. Honestly, if I hadn’t been eating breakfast
while watching, I probably would have fallen asleep before finishing it.
The movie
suffers from weak characterization and a shallow plot, showing no interest in
giving the characters any meaningful depth. It runs for about ninety minutes,
but it feels much longer. However, it does have two redeeming qualities: first,
the cinematography occasionally shines, especially when the camera mimics the
killer’s point of view. Second, the twist about the villain’s identity was
unexpected. Unfortunately, even the twist was ruined by a dreadful, overly long
monologue explaining the killer’s motives—it was so bad it felt like someone
blasting an air horn right next to me.
The plot follows
a group of teenage camp counsellors attempting to reopen an abandoned summer
camp. The camp has a history of bad luck, and despite the locals’ warnings, the
owner insists on going through with the reopening. As preparations progress,
the counsellors are picked off one by one by an unknown killer.
Surprisingly,
this movie became a massive financial success, grossing over 100 times its
production budget at the box office. This success spawned numerous sequels over
the decades, as well as a reboot. I hadn’t seen this first instalment until
now, though I’d watched some of the sequels and the reboot—and none of them
impressed me enough to make me want to go back to the beginning.
Thanks to the
COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been filling gaps in my movie list, but this is one
film I wish I’d left unseen. How it turned into such a money-maker and even
crossed over with A
Nightmare on Elm Street, is beyond me. I guess everyone has their own
taste.
As for the Jason
Voorhees franchise? It’s one I’ve never been able to get into or enjoy, which
is odd to me that there is a form of cult following.
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