Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Friday the 13th (2009)

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Horror remake isn't for anyone, let alone teens.

Movie R 2009 97 minutes
Friday the 13th (2009) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 46 parent reviews

age 18+

To much sex,cussing and gore

Ok,but my little Timmy would DIE if he saw this way to much sex,cussing and blood and gore me and my wife were watching this and my seven year old son and daughter walked in and four nights later,they were complaining about nightmares about “a scary man with a mask and a scary sword” so no.not for kids.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
6 people found this helpful.
age 17+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (46 ):
Kids say (134 ):

Friday the 13th is simultaneously disgusting and tiresome. Disgusting because it relies so heavily on images of slaughtered, chopped-up human beings and cheap jolts; tiresome because it's literally more of the same, returning to a film series that's already had more than a dozen sequels and spin-offs since 1980. Sure, there's a certain sick thrill in watching Jason in those earlier films -- when the idea of the silent, masked killer as unrelenting as death itself had some novelty -- but now it's just a cynical retread of a familiar idea. Modern films like Scream mock slasher conventions while delivering them, while those like Funny Games use the horror genre to play wicked mind games. Friday the 13th just offers more of the same.

Also damaging Friday the 13th is the fierce lack of any sense of invention in the storytelling or plot -- instead, we get advances in special effects that make death-by-arrow and machete-induced throat-cutting more "lifelike." Friday the 13th spurts blood red, but it's designed to earn green money with violence, sex, and recycled plotlines. A horror film should be tough, but not cynical; Friday the 13th is weary, greedy, and contemptuous of its audience.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate