Few movies had as much impact on our teen years as the 1980 slasher flick Friday the 13th.
We were utterly terrified to watch it and sat under a blanket on our older sister’s sofa watching a VHS copy, peering through clenched fingers in case things got too scary.
Indeed, we were so frightened and nervous as the killer worked his way from one body to another. Of course, by the end, we’d learn that it wasn’t a man after all, but a vengeful mother.
By the time the credits rolled, we were so invigorated that horror suddenly became a new obsession. The scarier, the gorier, the better.
But we’ve always had a fondness for the Friday the 13th franchise, no matter how campy it got (Jason X, we’re looking at you).
Today, Peacock releases Crystal Lake, a prequel series starring Linda Cardellini as the grieving mom who watches her son drown because camp counselors were too busy having sex to keep him safe.
We get to meet young Jason Voorhees, a really kind, smart kid bullied mercilessly for being different due to a medical condition that gave him an unusual appearance. We get to see the loving bond he shares with his mom before the tragedy. We get to see Jason as, well, human.
And it’s a really clever dive into Pam Voorhees’s descent into madness.
It’s wildly gory and the creative murders are exactly what slasher flick fans crave. Peacock brought us the equally graphic and delightfully hilarious, ultra-queer Chucky series, so we had high hopes.
And the series lives up to every one of them.
Watch the trailer here. Then stream the series from your own sofa, watching through clenched fingers if you must.
We’ll totally understand.
Crystal Lake
Streaming Now
peacocktv.com
Photos courtesy of Peacock.
