A prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise, Crystal Lake follows single mother Pam Voorhees (Linda Cardellini) who has been unable to shake her grief after her young, sickly son Jason tragically drowned in the town lake almost a year before.
When two strangers arrive at Pam’s door digging into her past, a disturbing chain of events is set into motion, leaving the townspeople of Crystal Lake wondering: just who is Pam Voorhees?
Also starring William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins and Gwendolyn Sundstrom, Crystal Lake expands the mythology of one of horror’s most enduring franchises, blending psychological suspense, mystery and emotional storytelling with the legacy that has captivated audiences for generations.
We attended an exclusive first-look screening of Episodes 1 & 2 — spoiler warning from here.
Episode 1 introduces us to the Voorhees family: Pamela balancing work as the camp cook while trying to care for Jason (and his additional needs) during the summer break. It’s a fragile family dynamic that, as fans of Friday the 13th know all too well, is destroyed when Jason drowns — while the counsellors who should have been watching look the other way.
Episode 2 picks up in the aftermath, diving deep into Pamela’s grief as the disturbing revelations from Episode 1’s finale begin to unfold.
Trauma and PTSD themes are heavily explored throughout these episodes, particularly in the scenes between Pamela and “Crazy” Ralph (Nick Cordileone). What the opening episodes do exceptionally well is expand on ‘minor’ characters from the first film, such as Ralph and Officer Dorf (Scoggins).
The series also explores a newly written backstory for Pamela and Jason, which will feature in a new novelisation of the show — a staple of 70s/80s horror.
The show doesn’t hold back on gore, but also delivers some great moments of humour, and will be especially appreciated by fans of the franchise with plenty of winks and inside jokes.
The cinematography and score (which features legendary Friday the 13th composer Harry Manfredini returning to score the opening title sequence) are heavily inspired by the original and do an excellent job of recreating its mood, while practical effects are used to deliver some incredibly creative and gory kills worthy of the originals.
The child actors give excellent performances as young Jason (Callum Vinson) and new character Grace (Sundstrom), Jason’s friend.
The town of Blairstown — used as the filming location of the original movie is also used brilliantly, becoming a character in itself and helping to set the scene.
It’s clear the show was made with a real love for the originals, as discussed by showrunner Kane in the Q&A — please see video below:
All episodes of Crystal Lake will be available exclusively in the UK and Ireland on Sky and streaming service NOW on 19th October.
The series is released on Peacock in the US from October 15th.
Thanks again to SKY & NOW for a fabulous night – the perfect start to Halloween!
