Friday the 13th, the 1980’s slasher surprised me, as much as a slasher film can. I knew little going into the film other than the name Jason Voorhees, therefore, and I will not spoil anything here, the ending took me by surprise. I enjoyed this film more than I initially expected, and I can understand why this film/franchise has become such a cult classic.
The slasher film focuses on a group of teenage camp counselors who are trying to re-open a “cursed” camp. The teens are brutally murdered one by one, and the killer is not revealed until the end of the film as he/she/it (again, not spoiling), fights the, in true slasher style, “final girl.” This film, much like other films of its genre, argues many things within the story including for teens to not have sex, not go out into the woods alone, and not to get into strangers’ vehicles. As none of these are explicitly stated, but conveyed through the killings, this can be considered the film’s subtext. The characters that have sex get killed, and even more than that, the reason the revenge that drives the movie happens in the first place is because of two teenagers having sex. The teens that go out alone get killed, and the first victim is killed because she gets into a strangers’ car. All of the characters who were murdered were either curious and alone, or engaging in sexual and or sensual acts. Considering the teenage audience (more specifically, teenage boys who are seeing this as a coming-to-age film,) that this film appeals to, these messages are imbedded within to reach the audience. While this film does have positive messages, well, as positive as a slasher movie can, there is some controversy.
There is controversy around the idea of how women’s sexuality is portrayed in horror films, especially slashers. It is a common horror trope to single out and victimize women, murder the promiscuous girls, and have the final girl be a virgin. The idea that female sexuality can be costly combined with the sexual way girls are portrayed (you may or may not see a breast in Friday the 13th) makes this film, as well as slashers in general, controversial. This can lead to different reactions from a male and female audience, but no matter which, the controversy is present. While am not an expert on the horror trope of gender, I am however, familiar with the disability trope that is also present in this film. (WARNING: This next paragraph contains spoilers).
As this film is a slasher, this movie’s main goal is to be gory and suspenseful. In addition to this, Friday the 13th incorporates several horror tropes including the final girl, death by sex, the abandoned place, the bad weather, and as I mentioned before, disability. After the shocking reveal that the killer is Mrs. Voorhees, Jason’s mom (I did not see that coming. I was sure it was Jason!) I quickly noticed that Mrs. Voorhees was mentally unstable. She is committing these murders as revenge for the death of her son, but to take that further, she repeats phrases like “Kill her mommy” as she is fighting Alice, almost as if she thinks she is Jason- Psycho much? She converses with Jason, playing both parts, revealing that she is mentally unstable, and continuing the ever-popular trope of the mentally unstable being villainized. This is not however the main focus of the film, as most people view the film to see some gore, some pretty girls (again, possibly a boob), and hang out with friends.
The target audience for this film is what makes it so successful. Friday the 13th’s main characters were teenagers, which entices teens to watch the film. The idea of being the same age as these characters, possibly doing the same things as them (going to summer camp, having sex, etc.) makes it more relatable and even more frightening. Other ways that this film creats a successful classic is through certain film strategies. The tracking shot, in which the audience is put in the eyes of the murderer allows the audience to relate to the villain. The dark setting and fast paces shots also make sight limited, adding to the tension in the murder scenes. The music is also very present throughout the film, and though the music is already loud in chase scenes, the increase in the music volume allows the audience to expect something bad to happen, building anticipation.
I only covered some of the aspects that make this film great, to get the rest you would have to watch it yourself, which you should do. If you are a fan of slashers, (or if you’re not and you don’t mind seeing some grizzly murders), if you want to see Kevin Bacon prior to his breakout role in Footloose, or if you are even slightly curious about this cult classic just as I was, I highly recommend you watch this movie, in all of its cheesy, 80’s goodness. 8/10.
Ali Scarlett is a Communication Sciences and Disorders student at the University of Texas. Other than being a student, she does not do much. Kind of like a platypus. Except not really. She mostly enjoys cool weather, good books, painting, and pretending that she is not getting closer and closer to having real responsibilities.
Rhetoric of Horror 