I, alongside my fellow Friday the 13th fans, waited 16 years for Jason Voorhees to return, but his short film comeback is definitely not what anybody wanted. I started watching the Friday the 13th movie franchise at an age when I really shouldn’t have, but they helped form my love of horror.
Sure, they’re all variations on the same formula (teens go to abandoned camp, get drunk/frisky, Jason gets creative with power tools before fighting the final girl, etc), but even the weaker Friday the 13th films made for a fun time.
It may lack the creativity of A Nightmare on Elm Street or the classiness of Halloween, but the Friday the 13th series is always fun junk food. Legal issues have kept Jason off the big screen since the 2009 remake, and after an agonizingly long wait, the short film Sweet Revenge marks Jason’s official return.
I Waited 16 Years For Jason Voorhees’ Return But Sweet Revenge Is Such A Letdown
Jason Voorhees’ new misadventure isn’t a movie reboot or a TV show; it’s a short film tie-in for Angry Orchard Hard Cider. The simple setup sees a group of friends heading to Crystal Lake for a peaceful getaway, only for Jason to break that peace.
Before going further, I’ll admit I didn’t hate Sweet Revenge. Director Mike P. Nelson (helmer of 2021’s underrated Wrong Turn reboot) gets the atmosphere and vibe of Friday the 13th, and there are a couple of effective brutal deaths.
My issue with Sweet Revenge is that it’s an intensely underwhelming return after a 16-year wait. It’s essentially a 13-minute advert for Angry Orchard Hard Cider, complete with awkward inserts of the brand and apples into the plot. The film does something unique with its final girl, but ironically, it’s too short to develop this properly.
Jason Voorhees Needed A More Epic Return After Such A Long Break
Again, Sweet Revenge is a short and sweet (sorry) Friday the 13th entry, but Jason needed something more epic for his comeback. Think of how Halloween 2018 or Final Destination: Bloodlines brought their series back after long absences.
They celebrated their history and zeroed in on what devotees loved about their franchises, while being a great entry point for newcomers. Jason’s comeback should have been the same, but as well-executed as Sweet Revenge is, it still feels like a glorified cider promo.
I Hope A24’s Crystal Lake Gives Jason The Comeback He Deserves
Sweet Revenge is the first outing from Jason Universe, an enтιтy that plans to expand Friday the 13th out to movies, TV shows, games and so on. Sweet Revenge is their debut effort, but the really exciting one is the A24 prequel series, Crystal Lake.
Hannibal’s Bryan Fuller was the original Crystal Lake showrunner, but was fired and replaced by Brad Kane.
This show casts Linda Cardellini as Jason’s mother Pamela, the killer in the original Friday the 13th. This series will detail young Jason’s original “death,” and Pamela taking her vengeance out on the camp counselors she holds responsible.
It’s a great setup for a fresh take on Friday the 13th, and I can’t wait to see how they handle Jason’s origin – and how big a role he plays in the overall plot. It’s a pity the show didn’t come before Sweet Revenge, but hey, at least Jason’s no longer buried at the bottom of the lake.
