The unluckiest Friday of the month is here, but thankfully, there’s plenty to keep you entertained across the best streaming services.
The original Friday the 13th movie is available for free on Pluto TV, but there’s plenty more where that came from, as there are four other great slasher movies I recommend.
Whether you want horror comedy or something more serious, it’s all available at your fingertips. Which is a stroke of good luck, if you ask me.
Totally Killer
Where to watch: Prime Video (worldwide)
RT score: 86%
Runtime: 106 minutes
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Main cast: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie, Lochlyn Munro
Totally Killer is a comedy horror that pays tribute to 80s-era slashers and time-travel flicks, so you’ll get a real kick out of this if you’re a fan of movies like Scream and Happy Death Day.
The movie follows Jamie, who travels back in time to 1987 to catch The Sweet 16 Killer and put a stop to his original murders. It’s a dangerous endeavor, but Jamie’s not alone as she teams up with her mother in the past to save her life in the future.
This is such a joy to watch and really celebrates everything I love about the genre. There’s a reason it’s one of our best Prime Video movies.
You’re Next
Where to watch: Peacock (US); Rent or buy (UK); Netflix (AU)
RT score: 80%
Runtime: 94 minutes
Director: Adam Wingard
Main cast: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, A. J. Bowen
Want an action-packed horror instead? You’re Next is 94 minutes of pure carnage, and I loved every single minute of it.
If family reunions aren’t anxiety-inducing enough, the focus of this movie sees masked assailants targeting one. For this estranged family, though, awkward conversations and forced pleasantries are the least of their concerns, as they start fighting for their lives.
This is also great to experience with a crowd. I had the pleasure of seeing it at my first ever FrightFest back in 2013, but it hits just as hard when you’re watching it alone.
Freaky
Where to watch: Prime Video (US); rent or buy (UK); Binge (AU)
RT score: 84%
Runtime: 101 minutes
Director: Christopher Landon
Main cast: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Misha Osherovich
Freaky was actually released on a Friday the 13th, a genius move. So much so that I have a habit of returning to it every year, and it never seems to get old.
Body swap movies are great, especially as they challenge actors to behave in a way we might not expect. Here, you get Vince Vaughn acting like a teenage girl and Kathryn Newton acting like a middle-aged serial killer. And yes, it’s brilliant.
Full of very effective kills and some laugh-out-loud moments, it’s a pitch-perfect slasher and my favorite Christopher Landon movie.
The Stepfather
Where to watch: Prime Video (US); Cultpix (UK, AU)
RT score: 89%
Runtime: 89 minutes
Director: Joseph Ruben
Main cast: Terry O’Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack
I had to include another ’80s slasher if you’re wanting Friday the 13th vibes. At a comfortable 89 minutes, it’s a nicely paced thrill ride, and definitely one to check out this weekend.
Here, the brilliant Terry O’Quinn stars as an identity-assuming serial killer who marries a widow with a teenage daughter, having killed his previous family. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before he turns on his new family.
Playing on domestic themes and anxieties, this is a defining movie of the slasher genre and one that you shouldn’t miss.
