Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

Play trailer

1:10

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

R

1989

1h 40m

Horror

Action

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

8%

Tomatometer

84 Reviews

26%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Mass murderer Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) is resurrected from the bottom of Crystal Lake. After he kills a passing boat's occupants, he stows away on a cruise ship filled with a high-school graduating class bound for New York City. Biology teacher Charles McCulloch (Peter Mark Richman) is on board with his niece, Rennie (Jensen Daggett), who has visions of Jason drowning as a child. They escape his bloody shipboard rampage, but, when Rennie and Charles reach Manhattan, Jason is close by.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Jason Takes Manhattan, but not before slicing his way through a ship-based, overly slick retread of previous Friday the 13th installments that verges on self-parody.

Read Critics Reviews

Vit Wagner

Toronto Star

Sep 28, 2026

There's plenty to laugh at.

Go to Full Review

Jeff Millar

Houston Chronicle

Sep 28, 2026

It's shocking to see how Jason has lapped: The killing in 13th movies is nowhere close to the grossest available in other films.

Go to Full Review

Bruce Westbrook

Houston Chronicle

Sep 28, 2026

The brief Gotham finale generates some guffaws and jolts. But overall, the film isn't scary or funny, and it's desperately devoid of invention.

Go to Full Review

Mike Cidoni

Gannett News Service

Sep 28, 2026

The series has delivered its share of stinkers, like parts 2, The Final Chapter, V and VII. But they've never been quite this stinky.

Go to Full Review

Joe Leydon

Houston Post (Texas)

Sep 28, 2026

0.5/4

There are a few, very few, redeeming qualities that save Jason Takes Manhattan from being completely worthless trash.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

tmooy T

@tmooythegoat 2 days ago

I love this movie, no matter how dumb it is

See more

Melissa L

@Agent99 3 days ago

It's a little different, and I think it's better for that.

See more

Robert P

@Superbad Sep 9, 2026

This is not a good movie at all!

See more

Brant F

@destroyfascism Sep 6, 2026

Jason Takes Manhattan seems to forget its own geographical premise, considering most of it takes place on a boat. The gore feels neutered, but I love the late-’80s soundtrack. The J.J. boiler-room scene is ’80s charming greatness, and the boxing scene is ridiculous but perfect. This really is the cartoon version of the series, and, sadly, the worst one.

See more

B P

@Bradster69 Aug 31, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

See more

Alex B

@AlexBioni Aug 28, 2026

Crazy Way to Teach a Kid How to Swim This was an okay movie. My biggest issue is that the title is literally Jason Takes Manhattan, yet the first hour is spent on a boat. I liked the production and the look of the movie, and Jason looks cool. I did like the boat location and some of the kills. Putting Jason in a city was a cool idea and could have made for a great change of pace, but unfortunately he barely does anything once he gets there. Some things don't make much sense either, but it's a Friday movie, so what do you expect? The acting is rough at times, and what were those fake Sharpie tattoos on Tamara? The movie is also pretty forgettable outside of its locations. Overall, it's not terrible, but it's not good either. I still think it's better than Part 5, but I wish they had done more with the Manhattan setting.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Rob Hedden

Director

Jensen Daggett

Rennie Wickham

Scott Reeves

Sean Robertson

Kane Hodder

Jason Voorhees

Peter Mark Richman

Charles McCulloch

Barbara Bingham

Miss Colleen Van Deusen

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Murder Caught on Tape

2:13

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Seductive Anatomy Lesson

2:13

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Jason vs. Toxic Waste

2:08

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Knockout!

1:57

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Jason vs. New York

2:12

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Drowned in Toxic Waste

1:01

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Subway Chase

2:10

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Two for One Slaying

2:09

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Killer Dance Moves

2:07

Now Playing

Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan: Official Clip - Jason Says No to Drugs

2:12

Now Playing

View more videos

Tales From the Darkside: The Movie

50%

44%

Tales From the Darkside: The Movie

Watchlist

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

21%

37%

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

Pet Sematary Two

20%

31%

Pet Sematary Two

Watchlist

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

20%

52%

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

Watchlist

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

39%

54%

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Rank Every Friday the 13th Movie

Movieclips: Jason's Best Kills

45:09

Now Playing

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan: Trailer 1

1:10

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Mass murderer Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) is resurrected from the bottom of Crystal Lake. After he kills a passing boat's occupants, he stows away on a cruise ship filled with a high-school graduating class bound for New York City. Biology teacher Charles McCulloch (Peter Mark Richman) is on board with his niece, Rennie (Jensen Daggett), who has visions of Jason drowning as a child. They escape his bloody shipboard rampage, but, when Rennie and Charles reach Manhattan, Jason is close by.

Director: Rob Hedden
Producer: Randy Cheveldave
Screenwriter: Victor Miller, Rob Hedden
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Horror Films
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 28, 1989, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.3M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo, Mono, Ultra-Stereo

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings