4. Friday the 13th (1980)
It might be somewhat controversial to not put the original movie as #1 on the list, but honestly, I think I respect the original Friday the 13th for its legacy more than I actually enjoy it as a film. It’s definitely a good slasher film in its own right, but when we’re taking a look at the franchise as a whole, it’s pretty tame and the series reaches much greater heights.
We really have to judge this movie as its own thing and not as a part of the franchise, because really, it wasn't trying to be the beginning of a franchise. It's just a horror thriller about a bunch of kids being stalked by a mysterious killer, and a lot of what we love about this series develops organically over the course of the sequels and isn't present here. As a film, the original Friday the 13th may be the most well made, but in a rewatch of the series, it’s not the one I get excited about seeing again. It does its job as a thriller, but doesn't reach any incredible heights. I’d rather have an insanely silly Jason movie that’s really fun, like some of the rest of this list, than a classic like this which in retrospect is pretty standard. The movie is undeniably a classic and very influential though, even if it's definitely not the best Jason movie and not the one I'm quickest to recommend.
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