Jason Universe Director Reveals Which Friday the 13th Sequel Influenced Sweet Revenge

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ComicBook sat down with Sweet Revenge director Mike P. Nelson at San Diego Comic-Con and asked him what inspired this new Friday the 13th project. Nelson, who is no stranger to horror as the helmer of the Wrong Turn reboot and the upcoming reimagining of Silent Night, Deadly Night, cited a specific entry as the pinnacle of his admiration for the IP.

His focuses were on crafting “great kills and really creating that atmosphere again that…was captured in the first four.” Those are two points that are great to hear for a fan of the franchise, as most would agree that, along with Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, the first quartet of films are the best the saga ever had to offer.

Nelson then specified Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, which is many a fan’s pick for the best of the bunch. He then went on to call it the “defining horror movie of the ’80s. It has that look…the kills are fantastic, some of them being off-screen, which is always a bold choice because then the next one that you see is much more traumatizing.”

That’s a great point. The Final Chapter‘s helmer, Joseph Zito, and screenwriter, Barney Cohen, nailed two very important aspects. For one, they fleshed out Jason’s victims more than the average installment. It’s often crushing when they inevitably meet Jason face to face. Two, the kills are perfectly paced and diverse. When one is off-screen it is typically followed by one that is particularly gruesome.

Take for example the off-screen death of Trish and Tommy Jarvis’ mom, Tracy. We’ve gotten to know her and then, in a literal flash of lightning, she’s gone. The next kill is then Crispin Glover’s Jimmy Mortimer, who gets a corkscrew to the hand followed by a cleaver to the face.

The Final Chapter was also the last film of the franchise to capture that almost indescribable essence that the franchise had at first. We feel like we’re there with the protagonists at Camp Crystal Lake, then Packanack Lodge, then Higgins Haven, and lastly the Jarvis house and the rented-out vacation home next door. After that, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning became even grimier, both in terms of tone and visuals, and from Jason Lives onward there was just a bit more Hollywood visual gloss on the installments.

Nelson clarifies he wasn’t out to make a period piece, he just wants what many fans have wanted, which is a recapturing of that aforementioned almost indescribable essence. Sweet Revenge is looking to be a wonderful return for on-screen Jason.