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Film1984

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

Directed by Joseph Zito

  • horror

The story

After his revival in a hospital morgue, Jason fixes his vengeful attention on the Jarvis family and a group of hitherto carefree teenagers.

What it’s like

Rough, workmanlike 1980s slasher texture: summer daylight over a New Jersey lake, sunlit cabins, and dusky woods where the shadows pool early, shot in flat, standard-definition-looking colour with grain and soft focus at the edges. The camera is mostly conventional coverage, with quick handheld pushes through the trees and frequent point-of-view stalking shots, and the score is a driving synth pulse that spikes into stingers at each kill. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with long stretches of teenage banter and horseplay by the water punctured by sudden, graphic killings. The violence is frequent and explicit, with practical gore, stabbings, impalements and bloody deaths shown in close detail, and the sexual content is brief but present, with nudity in a few scenes. The mood is pulpy dread rather than subtle unease, playing as a jumpy, sweaty, summer-camp nightmare. Best for horror fans who want a gory, nostalgic 1980s slasher to watch with the lights low, not for anyone seeking something gentle or restrained.

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