Welcome to Movie Mondays, a weekly blog series that takes you on a cinematic odyssey through the world of film! Each week, we’ll dive into a list of my 100 least favorite movies, exploring what makes them fall short and discussing the lessons we can learn from their missteps. Remember that these low-ranking films are only that way based on my personal opinion. Something I hate may be something you love and no offense is intended. Wherever these movies fall for you, I invite you to grab some popcorn and join in on the debate over these films’ merits!

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

1993

Directed by Adam Marcus

Hey there, horror fans! It’s time to dive into the ninth installment of the Friday the 13th franchise, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993). Strap in, because this supernatural slasher flick is a wild ride that’ll leave you scratching your head and wondering, “What the heck did I just watch?”

First off, let’s address the elephant in the room: Jason Voorhees, our beloved hockey-masked killer, is barely in this movie. That’s right, the big bad spends most of the film’s runtime as a body-hopping spirit, possessing random people to continue his killing spree. It’s like the filmmakers decided to mix Friday the 13th with The Hidden and serve it up as a convoluted mess.

The plot, if you can call it that, revolves around Jason’s spirit trying to find a suitable host body from his bloodline to be reborn. Enter Jessica Kimble (Kari Keegan) and her infant daughter, the last living relatives of the Voorhees family. Along for the ride is Jessica’s ex-boyfriend Steven Freeman (John D. LeMay) and the mysterious bounty hunter Creighton Duke (Steven Williams), who seems to know an awful lot about Jason’s supernatural shenanigans.

Director Adam Marcus, in his feature debut, tries to inject some fresh blood into the franchise but ends up draining all the fun out of it. The script, a hodgepodge of ideas from screenwriters Jay Huguely and Dean Lorey, is a convoluted mess that raises more questions than it answers. The supporting cast is forgettable, with most of them serving as mere cannon fodder for Jason’s body-hopping rampage.

The film’s saving grace is the special effects by KNB, which delivers some delightfully gory kills. However, even the gore feels excessive and gratuitous at times, as if the filmmakers were trying to distract us from the nonsensical plot.

Behind the scenes, the production was plagued with issues. Director Marcus clashed with producer Sean S. Cunningham, resulting in numerous reshoots and a final product that feels disjointed and unsatisfying. It’s no wonder that the film was panned by critics and fans alike upon its release.

In the end, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday is a disappointing entry in the franchise that fails to capture the essence of what makes a Friday the 13th film fun. The lack of Jason as a physical presence, the convoluted supernatural plot, and the forgettable characters make this a sequel that’s best forgotten. It’s no surprise that New Line Cinema quickly course-corrected with the next installment, Jason X (2001), which sent our favorite slasher to space.

But hey, that’s just my opinion. What did you think of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday? Did you enjoy the supernatural body-hopping angle, or did you find yourself longing for the simpler days of Jason stalking horny teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake? Let me know in the comments below!