Horror fans rejoice: Jason Voorhees is back in a brand new movie as the Friday the 13th franchise gears up for a gory return after sixteen long years.
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The horror legend is back in Sweet Revenge, a short film from Jason Universe — the official new multi-platform expansion of the Friday the 13th franchise by Horror Inc. Produced with Angry Orchard (because nothing says terror like a crisp cider).
Of course, the new film dropped on YouTube on the 13th (on a Wednesday, but we can’t have everything).
A new Friday the 13th installment backed by a girly drink might sound like a cash grab after fans have waited so long. But with its 15-minute runtime, it’s more than just a glorified ad, and the hard cider product placement is probably really only clocked by fans in the know.
You can watch the complete NSFW short film here.
Sweet Revenge Packs Serious Horror Pedigree into the Friday the 13th Franchise
It helps that Sweet Revenge‘s director is no stranger to horror. Writer-director Mike P. Nelson, known for rebooting Wrong Turn with a fresh twist, contributing standout moments in V/H/S/85, and helming the upcoming remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night, channels his lifelong love of slashers to craft a fitting tribute to Friday the 13th.
The beauty of this short film is how streamlined it is. Jason fans get some solid kills (courtesy of Ryan Schaddelee [Wrong Turn, I Am Not a Serial Killer] and Beki Ingram [Tusk, The Strangers: Prey at Night]), a few nostalgic Easter eggs, and even a fresh addition to the lore with the film’s punch-out ending.
However, this being the year of our lord 2025 (and the 45th anniversary of the Friday the 13th franchise), one standard from the franchise is absent. Sorry, fellas, no gratuitous nudity or shower scenes. And yes, a newcomer is in the role of Jason (stunt coordinator Schuyler White), who might not be as imposing as previous actors in the part. That said, he does a serviceable job.
Regardless, hungry fans of everyone’s favorite machete-wielding killing machine flooded the comments section on YouTube.
“Our momma’s boy is back, baby!” one fan gushed. “The last movie was in 2009 It’s crazy finally seeing this stuff,” another gleeful fan added. “This is literally all fans want, but on a feature-length level. Forget cheap TV shows. Memorabilia and all that crap. Just give us THIS, but over 1h30m. Thank you,” a third fan wrote.
“The Goat is Back, we need more Jason, I need more FRIDAY THE 13th,” yet another horror fan declared.
Sweet Revenge is a solid step forward for the franchise and should restore some faith among fans. It’s a great teaser ahead of Peacock’s upcoming Crystal Lake prequel series, but it deserves more. Mike P. Nelson seems ready to bring Jason back to the big screen—how about we aim for February 2026, the first Friday the 13th next year? Let’s make it happen!