Friday the 13th Movies: Essential Films
A focused introduction to the Friday the 13th franchise featuring the four foundational films that established Jason Voorhees' mythology and defined the slasher genre.
This selection covers the complete origin story - from the original Crystal Lake murders through Jason's transformation from vengeful child to unstoppable killer. The four films capture everything that made the franchise a horror phenomenon without the diminishing returns of later sequels.
There are 3 other watch orders available - see the links up above.
List not ranked (sorted by Release Date)
Friday the 13th
Camp counselors attempting to reopen a summer camp are stalked and murdered by an unknown killer seeking revenge for a tragic drowning that occurred years earlier.
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Friday the 13th Part 2
Five years after the tragic events at Camp Crystal Lake, new counselors arrive in the area, unaware that the deadly legend continues to haunt the campgrounds.
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Friday the 13th Part III
A group of friends spending the summer near Camp Crystal Lake find themselves hunted by the unstoppable killer Jason Voorhees. This third installment in the horror franchise delivers more slasher thrills as Jason continues his deadly rampage.
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Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Jason Voorhees returns from the dead to terrorize a new group of teenagers and the nearby Jarvis family in this supposedly final installment of the slasher franchise.
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Related Film Series
Other Film Series
28 Days Later
A post-apocalyptic horror trilogy following different survivors across nearly three decades of a rage virus outbreak that devastated Britain.
A Quiet Place
A post-apocalyptic horror series about survivors navigating a world where deadly creatures hunt by sound, forcing humanity to live in complete silence.
Darkman
Sam Raimi's cult superhero-horror trilogy following a disfigured scientist who becomes a vigilante.
Halloween
The iconic slasher franchise following masked killer Michael Myers across multiple timelines and reboots spanning over four decades.
Phantasm
A surreal horror franchise following young Mike Pearson and ice cream vendor Reggie in their ongoing battle against the interdimensional Tall Man and his deadly silver spheres.
Romero's Living Dead
George A. Romero's groundbreaking zombie saga, featuring classic horror films and several reboots.