Friday the 13th Part VI is also titled Jason Lives. After the strange decisions made in the previous movie, this one seeks to fix them. Tommy Jarvis still suffers from hallucinations. However, his mental health doesn’t drive him to insanity thankfully.
Jason Lives is the next movie on my list. Like every other entry in the franchise, it clocks in around 90 minutes. It’s directed by Tom McLoughlin and stars Thom Mathews as Tommy and Jennifer Cooke as Megan.
In this entry, Tommy wants to make sure Jason can’t return. Unfortunately, in doing so, he resurrects him instead. Jason returns to Camp Crystal Lake although it now goes by the name Camp Forest Green. In usual fashion, he kills using brutal methods.
Meanwhile, Tommy wants to stop him but has his own issues. The local Police department refuses to listen to him. They even blame him for the killings.
While nobody else listens to him, Megan, the daughter of the Sheriff joins him. The two return to the Camp and plan to stop Jason from hurting ever again.
Jason Lives is an improvement on the previous instalment. It adds self-referential humor. It’s something we know too well from Horror movies now but for 1986 it’s ahead of its time. That’s even more true when realising Scream has a 1996 release.
The movie also focuses less on making people with mental health issues look crazy. Instead, it shines a negative light on the people who mock it.
The downside to the movie is some of the dialogue. It’s something I’m willing to give it a pass on though. Most horror movies made in the 80s suffer from the same issue but it’s what makes them endearing.
Friday the 13th Part VI – Jason Lives is a step-up above its predecessor and in my personal top three so far.
