11. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
Jason Voorhees is dead; defeated after the terrifying events of The Final Chapter. Tommy, now a teenager residing at a halfway house, can’t seem to escape recurring nightmares about Jason. Then the bodies begin to pile up. A New Beginning is the culmination of the series new starting point; the beginning of a new killer, new arc. It’s a moody, excessive, bloated, surprisingly gratuitous entry, but one that effectively captures anxiety and atmosphere in surprising ways.
Many fans disregard Beginning for its prime flaw, yet despite only following the Voorhees design, it’s an entry that’s psychological and for the most part, exactly what we’re looking for in a slasher.