Happy Friday the 13th! It’s a perfect day to be a horror fan as we have our very own franchise, 12 movies deep, dedicated to the day. The movie marathon practically writes itself! However, if you find yourself having already blown through all those movies, or just aren’t in the mood to revisit the original FRIDAY for the millionth time, allow me to provide you with some alternatives. Read on and I can almost guarantee there will be a slasher to please every type of person on this special Friday.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981)
Available on: Shudder and AMC plus
Our first slasher is a doozy. A film that took over my entire Twitter timeline when it was added to Shudder, BUTCHER, BAKER, NIGHTMARE MAKER is a slasher that feels ahead of its time in terms of pure balls to the walls absurdism. High school senior Billy (Jimmy McNichol), lives with his aunt Cheryl (Susan Tyrrell) who has an unhealthy attachment to her young nephew. Determined to stop anything from coming between them, Cheryl is prepared to take desperate measures in this wildly entertaining slasher, with one of the all time great horror movie cold opens.
Optional drinking game: Take a shot every time Billy drinks a glass of milk!
Stage Fright (2014)
Available to rent on: Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube etc.
A movie that I will recommend at any opportunity I am given, STAGE FRIGHT is an incredibly undervalued horror musical. Much like FRIDAY THE 13th, this film follows a group of teens and children at a summer camp that is being tormented by an unknown killer. This just so happens to be a musical theater camp, so there is some singing and dancing sprinkled in between the kills. It manages to parody the genres it is emulating while also being an incredibly solid entry in the lexicon of slashers and movie musicals. Plus, it features a jaw dropping performance by Meat Loaf as the producer in charge of the camp.
Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
Available on: Shudder, Tubi, AMC plus, Arrow
The second installment in the SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE franchise is often argued to be superior to its predecessor, and for good reason. That reason being a guitar playing, greaser, Driller Killer (Atanas Ilitch). If you can believe it, this movie centers around a slumber party where Courtney (Crystal Bernard), a survivor of the events of the first movie, is in attendance. This makes her uniquely prepared when a maniac wielding a guitar affixed with a massive drill bit crashes the party to wreck their shit. Funny and messy and full of iconic imagery, this is a perfect slasher to round out your Friday the 13th viewing.
Fade to Black (1980)
Available on: Shudder and AMC plus
Essential viewing for all horror nerds, just don’t get any ideas, okay? FADE TO BLACK tells the story of Eric (Dennis Christopher), a reclusive lover of movies who takes to dressing as his favorite characters and murdering all those who wronged him. Or at least, those who he perceives to have wronged him. The references this movie contains are incredible, as is the out of this world performance by Dennis Christopher. Perfect for any cinephile.
Freaky (2020)
Available on: HBOmax
This one feels like something of a no brainer as much of the movie takes place on Friday the 13th. Additionally though, FREAKY is a whole lot of bloody fun. When a serial killer (Vince Vaughn) trades bodies with a high school girl (Kathryn Newton), he doesn’t let that stop him from wreaking havoc and upping his body count. This is another slasher that is anchored by really stunning performances and is also full of sharp, witty writing, and gruesomely creative kills.
Death Drop Gorgeous (2020)
Available on: Shudder, Tubi, and AMC plus
A triumph of low-budget, queer horror filmmaking, DEATH DROP GORGEOUS checks all my boxes. It’s a movie that is ridiculously comforting in the sense that it feels like you rounded up all of your buddies and made a movie just because you wanted to, not for anybody else. This film tells the story of a nightlife scene plagued by a masked killer draining gay men of their blood. On top of that, it’s a real hoot and a half with a dedication to gore that’s sure to provide you with at least one visual unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Aquaslash (2019)
Available on: Showtime and Fubo
I cannot believe this movie is real. But it is, and for that I’m so grateful. AQUASLASH follows a group of teens celebrating their high school graduation at a waterpark. Things quickly turn sinister once we learn that someone has affixed the waterslides with enormous blades, aquaslashing anyone who slides down it. AQUASLASH isn’t winning any awards, but it is so nonsensical, absurd, and bloody that it wins me over anyway. The perfect film to watch with a group of friends and scream in amazement at the TV.
Hatchet (2006)
Available on: Tubi, Hoopla, and Vudu
The HATCHET franchise is criminally under sung in our world of iconic slashers, and while really any of the films would be a great way to celebrate Friday the 13th, why not begin with the one that started it all. Nestled in a Louisiana swamp lives Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), a supernatural serial killer who does not take kindly to people infringing on his peace. And that’s exactly what a group of young tourists celebrating Mardi Gras is going to do. Funny and scary and gory in equal measure, it’s easy for a slasher fan to become enamored with HATCHET.
Bloody Birthday (1981)
Available on: Tubi and Arrow
One slasher killer isn’t enough for you? Try three pint sized little devils. Triggered by their shared 10th birthday, three children born during a solar eclipse suddenly become killing machines, making this one very BLOODY BIRTHDAY. Nobody is safe in this slasher, making the movie feel like a nonstop thrill ride. It is also chock full of some sincerely frightening child performances from our three leads, an impressive and unsettling feat.
Prevenge (2016)
Available on: Shudder and AMC plus
Another slasher on this list told from the perspective of the killer, PREVENGE puts us in the shoes of Ruth (Alice Lowe), an expectant mother, recently widowed, who is instructed by her unborn child to exact fatal revenge on the people responsible for her partner’s death. As the title and the conceit of the film may suggest, PREVENGE does have plenty of campy and outrageous moments, but it is also a thought provoking study of grief and the intersection of motherhood and sense of self. Perfect for those seeking bloody kills with a side of existential dread.
The Gallows (2015)
Available to rent on: Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube etc.
Here’s some found footage for you, as a treat! THE GALLOWS gets somewhat of a bad rap, and while not entirely undeserved, it does feel a bit blown out of proportion. The weakest part of the film truly is the fact that it’s presented as found footage because for a good amount of screen time, it makes no sense for the characters to be filming what’s going on. If you can look past that though, THE GALLOWS is an entertaining, and at times genuinely scary, story of a haunted high school theater and a spirit determined to stop this play from going on, no matter the cost.
The Dentist (1996)
Available on: Tubi, AMC plus, The Roku Channel, and Vudu
It’s a tale as old as time. Man catches his wife cheating on him, man is unable to process his emotions, man tailspins into a murderous rage. But what if he was also a dentist? While THE DENTIST does nothing to revolutionize the slasher genre, it is downright stomach churningly nasty, which is a lot of fun for the right kind of crowd. The creativity of some of the torment Dr. Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen) inflicts on his patients and enemies alike is truly diabolical. Plus it features a brief performance from a young Mark Ruffalo, and who could turn that down.
The Car (1977)
Available to rent on: Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube etc.
If human serial killers just aren’t doing it for you, look no further because we’re taking vehicular manslaughter to the next level with THE CAR. Another movie that I will recommend whenever I have the chance, THE CAR tells the story of a possessed Lincoln Continental terrorizing a small town and the local sheriff (James Brolin) who is tasked with stopping it. It’s a hilarious little gem with some excellent horror set pieces that’s sure to be a unique entry in your Friday the 13th slasher marathon.
Tags: Friday the 13th, Horror
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