"Friday the 13th" is a 1980 American slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham. It is one of the most iconic and influential films in the horror genre, particularly in the slasher subgenre. The success of "Friday the 13th" led to a long-running franchise with numerous sequels, spin-offs, and a cultural impact on the horror genre.
The film is set at the fictional Camp Crystal Lake, where a group of camp counselors prepares for the reopening of the camp. As they start to arrive, they are stalked and killed off one by one by an unseen assailant. The mystery surrounding the identity of the killer adds to the suspense.
"Friday the 13th" is known for popularizing the formula of a masked killer systematically targeting a group of young people, a trope that became a hallmark of slasher films. The movie stars Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer, and Kevin Bacon in one of his early roles.
While the film received mixed critical reviews upon its initial release, it gained a cult following and is now regarded as a classic in the horror genre. The character of Jason Voorhees, initially introduced in the sequels, became one of the most recognizable and enduring figures in horror cinema.