Jason Lives - Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
★★★ — Jason Lives - Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
By 1986, the Friday the 13th series was five films deep and showing its age, with Paramount and producer Sean S. Cunningham looking for a course correction after the divisive Part V (which had controversially sidelined Jason entirely). Tom McLoughlin, who had previously directed the low-key horror One Dark Night (1983), was brought in with a mandate to bring Jason back and reinvent him as something more than a slasher-in-a-mask. Working on a modest $3 million budget, McLoughlin wrote the script himself and drew consciously on the Universal monster tradition, particularly Frankenstein, to give the resurrection a gothic, almost theatrical weight. Thom Mathews, fresh from Return of the Living Dead, took over the recurring Tommy Jarvis role for the third consecutive recast in as many films.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) is where the franchise finally leans into its own mythology and transforms Jason Voorhees from a mere mortal killer into the unstoppable, supernatural force we now know him to be, and honestly, it’s a welcome evolution. Directed by Tom McLoughlin, this one feels different: darker in tone, smarter in execution, and surprisingly self-aware without becoming a full parody. After being resurrected by a lightning strike (yes, really), Jason rises from the lake with super strength, and a clear mission, kill anyone near Crystal Lake. And this time, he feels like a monster. It’s easily one of the better entries in the series. The pacing is tight, the kills are creative (and brutal), and there’s an eerie atmosphere around the camp that actually builds tension. Unlike earlier sequels bogged down by weak plots, Jason Lives embraces the legend, even giving us a sheriff who knows something evil is out there but refuses to believe. C.J. Graham’s physical performance as Jason is iconic, hulking, deliberate, terrifying, and the final showdown is genuinely chilling. It’s not perfect, the humour occasionally undercuts the horror, and some characters are still dumb when they need to be smart, but it strikes the right balance between slasher tropes and genuine suspense. Solid, satisfying, and mythologically important. The moment Jason stopped being just a man in a mask and became the undead slasher icon. Took six films… but worth the wait.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 1986 | Watched: 2025-10-01
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Paramount Plus · Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Paramount Plus Premium · Paramount Plus Basic with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from the 1980s: Nightmare City (1980) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Style Wars (1983) · Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers (1980)
More horror: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Viy (1967) · Nightmare City (1980) · Angst (1983)
More thriller: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Angst (1983) · The Long Walk (2025) · Punishment Park (1971)
