A Nightmare from Friday to Halloween - Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

The three most prominent American horror franchises (Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street) have influenced American cinema even beyond the horror genre. As of 2021, there are exactly 31 movies across all three franchises, and I am going to attempt to watch all of them, for this Halloween, one per day.

The idea of a crossover movie is pure fan service, and after seeing this movie, it really is just that. I think just the prospect of seeing these two together on screen is enough for any fan to endure whatever the filmmakers chose to put together, but I will say, I had fun. It was fun seeing the two worlds collide, especially since their approaches to murder are so different. Jason is just blunt force and Freddy is much more manipulative and cunning. The film’s buildup to when Jason breaks away from Freddy because Freddy isn’t strong enough is more interesting than the actual fighting itself, since neither of these two are known for their fighting skills. It’s all about their looks and who can terrify more teenagers (who are still pretty annoying but a little less so than previous counterparts). Hell, I wouldn’t have minded the Evil Dead crossover that was planned but then scrapped, since that series’ comic tone would have been a nice counterpoint to the self-seriousness of Friday the 13th and a nice complement to Nightmare on Elm Street. This movie is for the fans, but I think the fans would get a kick out of this.