10 Movie Franchises Saved From Extinction By Sequels

Yes, it’s time for another slasher series already—what can we say, something about running for longer than ten films apiece leaves these franchises with far more chances to improve themselves than most are afforded.

And improve itself Sean S. Cunningham’s infamous slasher franchise did, though this uptick in quality probably came a little too late for some critics—and definitely too late for most moral guardians. The sixth instalment of the series (which this writer will never be forgiven for misidentifying in an earlier article, shout out the comment section) brought back both the un-killable villain Jason Voorhees and the high quality of the first flick.

Maybe it was the clever self-referential humour which, along with the same year’s Roger Corman-produced Return to Horror High, influenced Wes Craven’s Scream some ten years later. Maybe it’s the impressive action sequences, ramped-up pacing, and added tension.

Whatever the case, the sixth Friday wowed audiences but also managed to impress its fair share of critics, a rare achievement for slashers even decades later. Sure, the series may have returned to one-star ignominy soon after, but at least for one film, there was no denying that old Jason truly did live.