Jason Voorhees, also known as the character who kills teens while wearing a hockey mask in various slasher movies, is back, and we can all say thanks to a beer company for his return. Really.
Despite being one of the most iconic and famous slashers in horror movie history, it’s been nearly two decades since Jason Voorhees donned his hockey mask to slaughter people in an official live-action production. Sure, he’s popped up in some video games, like Multiversus and Mortal Kombat, and he’s been in some fan films, too. But the last time the ’80s slasher star had killed some teens at Camp Crystal Lake was all the way back in 2009. However, Jason’s 16-year absence is over, and not how I expected.
On August 13, Sweet Revenge was released on YouTube. The 15-minute short film features a few couples traveling to a nice cabin by the lake who quickly experience all the tropes you’d expect from a Friday The 13th movie, including an encounter with a creepy guy, old stories of bad things happening, strange noises in the woods, and of course, someone getting into a car to escape but not being able to because they forgot the keys. The short takes a bit to get going, but I really enjoyed it. As a big fan of the Friday the 13th franchise, Sweet Revenge feels a lot like a classic F13 slasher despite its short runtime. And I like the new look for Jason, even if some fans find him too skinny.
And yes, Sweet Revenge starring Jason Voorhees was funded by beer manufacturer Angry Orchard. While you watch people get brutally murdered, count all the apples and Angry Orchard bottles in the shot. According to writer and director Mike P. Nelson in an interview with Variety, Angry Orchard was a great partner to work with and didn’t push them to include obvious ads in the short. Instead, there are moments involving apples, including a pretty brutal scene involving an apple in the mouth. In fact, some of the kills in this are so gory that YouTube won’t even let me embed Sweet Revenge in this article. Instead, you’ll have to go watch it on YouTube. Sorry about that. But here’s the trailer:
As for that ending, which I won’t spoil here, it does seem like there’s more story to be told, which Nelson would love to do if given the chance.
“I have an idea of where I’d love for the story to go after this,” Nelson told Variety. “It’s not really [in] my hands, whether or not it’s where Horror Inc. and Jason Universe end up going with it. But if I was given the opportunity…Holy crap, dude. I would snatch it up in a heartbeat. ”
This short, its classic slasher feel, and Jason’s new look have me excited for a future Friday the 13th movie. We know there’s a full “Jason Universe” initiative by the franchise’s owners, with plans to make lots of new F13 stuff. Now, let’s just hope fans don’t have to wait another 16 years for any of it.
