Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is a 1984 American slasher film directed by Joseph Zito. It’s the fourth movie in the Friday the 13th series and a direct sequel to Friday the 13th Part III. The story picks up right after the previous film: Jason Voorhees, thought to be dead, is alive and returns to Crystal Lake to continue his killing spree. This film also introduces Tommy Jarvis, played by Corey Feldman, who becomes Jason’s main foe in later stories. The movie was marketed as the final chapter to end the series at the time.
Production notes and release
Producer Frank Mancuso Jr. wanted to end the series, and Paramount was ready to move on because slasher films were losing popularity. The film was billed as The Final Chapter. Makeup artist Tom Savini, who helped create Jason, returned to help kill him off. Filming happened in California from late 1983 to early 1984. It was released on April 13, 1984, after being moved up from October. The budget was about $2.2 million, and it earned around $33 million in the United States, selling roughly 9.8 million tickets. Although critics didn’t love it at the time, many later view it as one of the stronger entries in the series.
Plot summary
After the murders at Higgins Haven, the killer’s body is taken to a hospital morgue, where Jason suddenly comes back to life and kills the coroner. The next day, a group of teens heads to Crystal Lake for a vacation. The group includes Paul and his girlfriend Samantha, Sara and her boyfriend Doug, Jimmy, and Ted. They meet Trish Jarvis and her younger brother Tommy, who live nearby, along with family dog Gordon. Jason begins picking off the teens, and a lot of the action takes place around the Jarvis home. Trish and Tommy, with help from Rob Dier, try to defend the house. Jason attacks several people, including Tina, Terri, and others, and there is danger and tension around every corner.
As the night unfolds, Tommy discovers Jason’s body and, in a dramatic turn, pretends to be a child version of Jason to distract him. Trish lures Jason outside and returns to the house, where Tommy uses a machete to finally kill Jason. The film ends with Tommy and Trish at a hospital; Tommy’s eyes show a troubling gleam, hinting at a darker turn for him.
Cast and creation notes
The film stars Kimberly Beck (Trish Jarvis), Corey Feldman (Tommy Jarvis), Crispin Glover, and Peter Barton, among others. It features the return of Tom Savini to help stage Jason’s demise. The soundtrack was composed by Harry Manfredini, who scored the previous films.
Music and extras
A soundtrack of the score was released in 2012 as a six-CD box set. The film also features the song “Love Is a Lie” by Lion. There is an alternate ending on the DVD where Trish finds Mrs. Jarvis’ body in the bathtub, but the original audio for that scene is lost.
Reception and legacy
The Final Chapter opened strong at the box office and is often considered one of the series’ better entries, even though some critics were negative at the time. It holds a mixed critical reception today (Rotten Tomatoes around 25%, Metacritic in the 30s), with critics like Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel calling it trash when it first released. Despite plans to end the series, the film led to more sequels and a reboot, continuing the Friday the 13th franchise. Some later retrospectives praise it for its story and character development, especially the inclusion of Tommy Jarvis as a new recurring foe for Jason.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:27 (CET).