10 Things Everyone Always Gets Wrong About Jason Voorhees

10. He’s The Killer In The First Movie

Friday the 13th, classic 1980s slasher flick about a group of teenagers who stay at Camp Crystal Lake during the summer, only to be systematically picked off by the masked maniac Jason Voorhees.

That’s it, isn’t it?

Well, no. Like the fatal mistake Drew Barrymore made in the opening of Scream, the killer in the first movie is not Jason, but his mother, Pamela Voorhees, played by the late Betsy Palmer. Jason does appear in a minor way, seen drowning as a young boy during flashbacks, and for a brief jumpscare at the end, but it’s a far cry from how he's presented in later movies.

Jason’s minimal screen time may be surprising for first-time viewers; he's the star of the franchise that everyone recognises, but he doesn’t get a major role until the second film. For the first two acts, the movie keeps its killer silent and unseen, filming much of the action from her point of view. Mrs Voorhees isn’t introduced until the third act, so it fails as a whodunnit, but Palmer makes up for it with her memorable performance.

What speaks to Jason’s strength as a character is that he has emerged as one of the most famous movie monsters of all time, despite having such a small role during the first instalment.