‘Crystal Lake’ First Reactions Are In, and ‘Friday the 13th’ Fans Have a Reason To Celebrate

Few horror franchises are as beloved, or as critically battered, as ‘Friday the 13th’, so expectations for Peacock’s ‘Crystal Lake’ were always going to be complicated. The A24-produced prequel spent years in development, first landing a series order back in October 2022 with Bryan Fuller originally attached as showrunner before he stepped down in 2024. Brad Caleb Kane of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ then took over the project.

The series rewinds the clock to before the 1980 original, telling the story of Pamela Voorhees, played by Linda Cardellini. It follows Pam as she struggles with grief after her young son Jason drowned in the town lake almost a year earlier, until 2 strangers arrive asking about her past and set off a disturbing chain of events.

Now the verdict is in, and it’s better than many fans might have expected. ‘Crystal Lake’ debuted with an 85% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews, making it the highest-rated project ever in the ‘Friday the 13th’ franchise. The score has been climbing slightly as more critics weigh in, and like any early rating, it remains subject to change.

That’s a striking milestone for a franchise that has rarely won over critics. The prequel surpasses every film in the series, a remarkable feat for the franchise’s first full-length project in 17 years.

‘CRYSTAL LAKE’ debuts with 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. The highest rated project ever in the Friday the 13th franchise. Read our review: https://t.co/BEaEm7nJjZ https://t.co/t1mGR9MoBg

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 13, 2026

Nearly every review singles out Cardellini, a recent Emmy winner for ‘DTF St. Louis’ who’s also known for ‘Freaks and Geeks’. DiscussingFilm called her an absolute powerhouse, describing a version of Pam whose love and care curdles into animalistic rage.

AIPT praised the way she makes Pamela sympathetic as a loving mother while charting her gradual descent into madness. Kane had been hyping her performance for months, telling Peacock that Cardellini is “inconceivably brilliant in it.”

The praise doesn’t mean the show is flawless. AIPT pointed to an identity problem, with drastic tonal shifts between comedic moments and Pamela’s mental decline, along with slow pacing in the middle episodes, though the outlet noted the story improves in its second half.

Let’s go back to where it all began 🏕️ #CrystalLake arrives October 15 on Peacock. https://t.co/0nOdk4ap3K

— Peacock (@peacock) September 13, 2026

DiscussingFilm also flagged a lack of a coherent thesis and too many subplots, yet still concluded the season is a flawed but satisfying debut. Elsewhere, IndieWire handed it a C, while the New York Post called it middling but still a worthy addition to the franchise.

Others were more enthusiastic. The Daily Beast felt its self-aware absurdity suits the franchise, and The Hollywood Reporter reportedly called it the best ‘Friday the 13th’ property yet.

Gorehounds won’t be disappointed, either. Reviewers note the series isn’t shy about graphic deaths, with DiscussingFilm highlighting all the practical bloodshed fans could want.

The supporting cast includes William Catlett as police chief Levon Brooks, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins in a major legacy role, and Gwendolyn Sundstrom. Callum Vinson plays a young Jason Voorhees, while original ‘Friday the 13th’ screenwriter Victor Miller serves as an executive producer.

The series already gave audiences an early taste, previewing at the Toronto International Film Festival and screening its premiere episode at New York Comic Con on October 8. Early reactions from TIFF highlighted Cardellini’s gut-wrenching turn and intriguing reveals about the Voorhees family.

All 8 episodes of ‘Crystal Lake’ arrive on Peacock on Thursday, October 15, right in the thick of Halloween season. With a franchise-best score and a lead performance critics can’t stop talking about, it’s shaping up to be one of the spooky season’s must-watch releases.

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