I mostly hate the Friday the 13th franchise. The first film is complete shit, as are the direct sequels. I liked the remake a bit, and Freddy vs. Jason was a lot of fun, but for me, the franchise is one of the horror genre’s worst.
Well … man, I might go back and watch those shit movies again having seen, and enjoyed, the Peacock prequel series, Crystal Lake. I am sure they will still be complete shit, but they might be a little more fun now that the lore has been tweaked.
Linda Cardellini gets to go hog wild as Pam Voorhees, mother of the mighty Jason Voorhees, the drowned, deformed boy who went on to become the man in the hockey mask wielding a machete. This eight-episode prequel shows the years leading up to the original rampage, one that owed an awful lot to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Not artistically, mind you. It just ripped off the themes.
It’s a tour de force for Cardellini as she evolves from mild-mannered to stark raving mad. The series does a lot to give Pam and Jason a real origin story—an origin story I was not seeking. Credit to the creators for making it a mostly worthwhile eight-episode experience with a backstory that gives the franchise some actual class and a little depth.
The show doesn’t skimp on the gore, scores some good laughs, and manages a few decent scares here and there. There are a couple of plotlines that feel like padding, but nothing truly bad.
Will there be more? Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane wants more seasons to explore more Friday the 13th lore and characters. I would be OK with this being the only season. The show makes its point, shakes things up for the franchise in a fun way, and feels self-contained. Quit while you are ahead.
