Crystal Lake review: A very gory, but very worthy, prequel to Friday the 13th

Prequels are often treated with suspicion. Not everything needs an explanation; not every villain needs an origin story. And it would be easy to feel the same about Crystal Lake – a new eight-part television series set before the events of the horror classic, Friday the 13th.

But despite the fact that the 1980 film has already spawned 11 more movies, plus numerous comics, novels and video games, executive producer and lifelong horror fan Brad Caleb Kane (It: Welcome to Derry) ensures this Sky Atlantic show is a very worthy prequel.

Set in the early 70s – and before the events of the film – we meet Jason Voorhees when he was yet to become a hockey mask-wearing murderer with a machete. Here, he’s a sweet child born with hydrocephalus – a build-up of fluid on the brain – who’s bullied for his appearance.

But when Jason drowns because he wasn’t being watched while attending the New Jersey summer camp Crystal Lake, his grieving single mother, cafeteria chef Pam, played by Linda Cardellini (who recently won an Emmy for DTF St Louis), can’t move on because Jason’s body is never found.

When two men from her past track Pam down, she must do what’s necessary to survive, with – in true Friday the 13th fashion – some very, very gory results. Seriously, a word of warning: even for seasoned horror fans, this really is stomach-churning in its grisly and graphic scenes, particularly in the first episode.

Chief of police Levon Brooks (William Catlett) strikes up a friendship with Pam, but as more bodies start to pile up at Crystal Lake, police scramble to try to identify the culprit.

It’s a physically and emotionally demanding lead role for Cardellini, who carries the show in driving the majority of scenes. She’s magnetic as she dons Pam’s blue cable knit jumper – one moment expertly playing all sweetness and light, the next giving in to her explosive rage.

In an echo of the films, there are plenty of creative kills throughout Crystal Lake that are achieved with impressive practical effects. The series was also shot in the original location of the state of New Jersey, and Harry Manfredini, who composed most of the scores for the films and created the chilling “ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma” vocals, created unnerving original music for the show.

Crystal Lake may take a little while to get into, but it quickly becomes clear that this is not a frivolous, mindless slasher – and it certainly doesn’t capitalise on exploitation (a frequent criticism of the films).

It’s not only surprisingly emotional but also includes strong themes such as grief and parental duty, as well as social commentary on women’s bodies, abuse and mental illness, and the distrust of institutions in America in the 70s that has continued today.

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Later episodes of the series prove particularly compelling, and by the time we reach the strong finale, we have solutions to myriad questions. How and why is Jason still alive if he drowned? What’s the real significance of the day Friday the 13th? Is Pam a villain or a victim of her own circumstances?

Kane has an answer for all of it (or at least, leaves it up to your interpretation) in a way that has clearly been thought through and even enhances an appreciation of the Friday the 13th films that don’t contain much lore for Pam and Jason, meaning this a highly justified prequel as Kane is given free rein to expand their backstory.

This series probably won’t interest you if you’re not already invested in the franchise – but if you are, this is a show that adds new meaning and depth.

All episodes of Crystal Lake will be available in the UK and Ireland on Sky and NOW on 19 October. You can sign up to Sky TV from £15 a month.

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