Overall rating: 6/10
The basic problem with Friday the 13th is that there is absolutely no character development. The trope of a group of people getting picked off one by one can be very effective, suspenseful, and scary. In this film it just reads like a movie with no plot, set up like a series of death scenes strung together for an hour and a half. With the lack of character development it’s easy to root for the killer. Plus almost every death scene is shot from the killer’s point of view. This was to hide the identity of the murderer but really serves to allow the audience to identify with the unknown killer and cheer as they hack up their seemingly endless supply of teenage camp councilors. The victims in this film are so anonymous that we had a hard time identifying many of them by name.
At the same time the film can be sort of enjoyable for what it is. The high point for me was the music, which I really enjoyed. It’s very Psycho inspired and, I think, the best thing about the film. Though I did also really like the old guy who kept yelling “You’re all doomed!” at the teens. That’s gonna be my new catch phrase.
The best part about this movie is the twist at the end. It turns out that Mrs. Voorhees, a middle aged women, was the killer the whole time. Mrs. Voorhees has more personality than any other character in the film and I found myself rooting for her over the final girl, Alice, who might as well have been played by a water-balloon in a wig.
This movie has a high body count, 10 deaths, and a moderate amount of blood but no guts. I have a feeling this series gets a lot gorier as it continues. There are also no people of color anywhere in the film. I guess summer camp is only for white people. You can also check out super young Kevin Bacon in one of his first movies.
Continue reading for list of victims and final girl.
THE VICTIMS
Victim 1: Male camp councilor
Age: teenager
Race: white
Gender: male
Length of death: 0:03
Method: stabbed
Point of view: first person/killer
Victim 2: Female camp councilor
Age: teenager
Race: white
Gender: female
Length of death: 0:35
Method: stabbed
Point of view: first person/killer
Victim 3: Annie
Age: teenager
Race: white
Gender: female
Length of death: 0:04
Method: throat cut
Point of view: first person/killer
Victim 4: Joky guy (seriously, did this dude have a name?)
Age: teenager (I guess. He looked kind of old but acted as part of the peer group)
Race: white
Gender: male
Length of death: off-screen
Method: throat cut
Point of view: n/a
Victim 5: Jack
Age: teenager
Race: white
Gender: male
Length of death: 0:04
Method: throat impaled
Point of view: third
Victim 6: Marcie
Age: teenager
Race: white
Gender: female
Length of death: 0:05
Method: axe to face
Point of view: first person/killer
Victim 7: Steve (owner of the camp)
Age: adult
Race: white
Gender: male
Length of death: 0:01
Method: stabbed
Point of view: first person/killer
Victim 8: Bill
Age: teenager
Race: white
Gender: male
Length of death: off-screen
Method: throat cut and arrowed
Point of view: n/a
Victim 9: Brenda
Age: teenager
Race: white
Gender: female
Length of death: off-screen
Method: tied up and throw through a window
Point of view: n/a
Victim 10: Mrs. Voorhees
Age: adult
Race: white
Gender: female
Length of death: 0:56
Method: decapitated by machete
Point of view: third
FINAL GIRL
Final girl: Alice
Age: Teenager
Race: White
Gender: Female
Final Girls 