I approached Jason Goes To Hell with the same trepidation I approached Friday The 13^th Part 2 with. I felt that nothing could be worse than Jason Takes Manhattan but sometimes the universe can surprise you. Fortunately that wasn’t the case. My experience with Jason Goes To Hell is kind of like the one I had with A New Beginning in that I went in expecting the worst and came out pleasantly surprised, only this time the surprise was even more pleasant.

In this ninth instalment of the Friday The 13^th franchise, Jason Voorhees is hunted and destroyed by FBI forces. However, that doesn’t stop his essence from leaving his corpse and possessing the living. The killer can only inhabit a person for so long until their body weakens and dies. To avoid this, Jason must find a permanent mortal form in either one of his living descendants, his niece Jessica or her infant daughter.

What I Was Expecting

Just like with Part 2, I was hoping for something better, more entertaining at least. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get that however as one thing I did know going into the film was that Jason wasn’t really in it, only his soul in random people. A Friday The 13^th where the physical presence of its most attractive and interesting character is little to non-existent? I felt that while this didn’t guarantee a soul destroyer, the possibility was certainly present.

I also knew of the Freddy Vs Jason tease at the end, again thanks to Monster Madness.

How would I feel at that point? Would I be sad that it was over or grateful? I just had to see.

What I Got

When you think critically about Jason Goes To Hell, you realise how much of a mess it is but when I compare with what’s come before, I can’t help but think that it’s one of the best.

Firstly, the film has a lot of twists and turns. Don’t get me wrong, it’s Friday The 13th, not Breaking Bad. Structurally and thematically the twists may seem shallow and meaningless, however in terms of entertainment they’re great. Jason Goes To Hell is the first Friday The 13^th I’ve seen where I actually didn’t know where it was going. Characters who I assumed to be important and key players in the climax are killed off. Characters who I was just waiting to get butchered not only stay longer than expected but become vital to the plot.

The worldbuilding (yes, it has it) I found very intriguing. At this point in time, Jason has become infamous the world over. When news breaks of his apparent demise we see a Crystal Lake diner capitalising on the occasion with a Jason themed menu. One of the characters is a bounty hunter on Jason’s trail who knows of the killer’s true nature. From him we learn of a character more in tune with the mythic unstoppable force of nature that the opening of The Final Chapter suggested. Jason Voorhees is so much more than a man now; he is a supernatural being that transcends flesh and time. Yet people are clearly aware of him in the modern world as the diner and news reports suggest. It makes you wonder what a world where a creature like Jason existed would look like.

The kills are tame and bloodless at first but as the film progresses, they get gorier and more creative. The best example is when one of Jason’s bodies expire. After his essence enters another host, his previous body begins to melt and disintegrate. It’s the bloodiest and most spectacular scene since Jason’s death in The Final Chapter. It’s really well done.

The Necronomicon makes an appearance! That really took me off guard. It’s the actual Book of the Dead from the Evil Dead trilogy, illustrations and all. I was glad that Easter egg wasn’t spoiled for me going in.

Overall, narratively and thematically it’s a mess but what Friday The 13^th film isn’t? With its unstructured but unpredictable plot, decent worldbuilding and bloodier kills, Jason Goes To Hell is a major standout for me, regardless of its disdained reputation.

I give Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday a strong and complimentary 5 out of 10.

9 down. Only 3 to go.