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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Friday the Thirteenth remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that treat the past like a giant puzzle, you'll probably get a kick out of this. If you need fast-paced thrills, stay away. This is for people who enjoy watching 1930s character actors pretend to be miserable.
The whole thing starts with a crane collapsing during a storm. It’s dramatic, sure, but it feels like it’s just there to force the bus off the road. Once the wreck happens, the movie pivots into these long, winding flashbacks.
The mood is heavy with that specific 1930s British melancholy. Everyone seems to be holding a secret behind a stiff upper lip. It reminds me a bit of the ensemble focus you see in Souls in Bondage, though maybe a bit less grim.
Some of the acting choices are… interesting. There’s a scene with a blackmail plot that feels like it goes on for ten years. You can tell the actors are really working to sell the stakes, but sometimes it just feels like they're reading off a list of grievances.
It lacks the visual punch of something like The Glorious Adventure, but it has a weird, persistent charm. It’s not trying to be high art, and that’s fine. It’s just a movie about people being messy before they hit a ditch.
I found myself wondering if anyone in the cast actually liked each other. The tension feels real, even if the script is a bit dusty. Don't go looking for deep meaning here. Just watch it for the weird rhythm of the dialogue.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not boring. Sometimes a movie just needs to be a bus crash and a secret, and that's exactly what you get. 🚌