Arrow Video 'Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday' 4K UHD Limited Edition Review
- Dan Bremner
- 25 minutes ago
- 5 min read
By Dan Bremner - May 19, 2025
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) is a shameless lie of a movie, the ninth Friday the 13th film that’s anything but “final” and a total betrayal of the franchise’s low-bar charm. I loathed it years ago, yet my collector’s weakness had me preordering Arrow’s 4K UHD, only for this rewatch to confirm it’s a nonsensical, Jason-less slog. The opening is a bonkers FBI sting with a naked agent luring Jason into a rocket-launcher ambush it is gloriously unhinged, but the film tanks into a dull, incoherent mess of demonic slugs, magical daggers, and a bounty hunter who feels like a D&D reject. With plot holes bigger than Crystal Lake and a script that makes Part VII look Shakespearean, it’s the franchise’s worst, bar none.
The characters are faceless nothings, and Jason’s absence are replaced by possessed randos, making you miss the simple joy of lakefront stabbings. Gnarly kills, like throat rips and bodies torn apart, offer brief sadistic glee, popping in Arrow’s crisp 4K, but they can’t save the crawl of a pace or the idiotic mythology. Unintentional laughs, like “Jason’s Dead!” discounts at local diners, and a Freddy vs. Jason stinger are too little, too late. Even an Evil Dead Necronomicon cameo feels desperate. This 87-minute disaster hates its own series, and I hated it too. Only for completists or masochists.
Arrow Video’s 4K UHD release of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (Both Cuts given the treatment across 2 discs) is a visual triumph that almost makes you forget the film’s a steaming pile. Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, the picture quality is razor-sharp, with crisp details that bring Crystal Lake’s grimy underbelly to life, every sweat-soaked brow, blood-splattered machete, and neon-lit diner pops with startling clarity. The HDR10/Dolby Vision grading enhances the colour palette, from the eerie greens of nocturnal kills to the vivid reds of gnarly practical effects, like bodies ripped apart or throats torn open, which gleam with grotesque vibrancy. Textures, like Jason’s decayed mask or the tattered FBI gear in the bonkers opening sting, are tactile and immersive, elevating the B-movie grit to near-artistic levels. Film grain is finely managed, preserving the ‘90s aesthetic without noise overload, and black levels are deep, making night scenes moodily atmospheric. Minor source-related imperfections (occasional softness in effects shots) barely detract from the polish. It’s a reference-quality restoration that outshines the film’s abysmal quality, earning Arrow a bow for giving this turd a glossy sheen.
The audio quality is a robust, immersive treat that punches above the film’s dismal weight. Presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track (with a 2.0 stereo option), the mix breathes life into the B-movie chaos, delivering crisp dialogue, bone-crunching sound effects, and Harry Manfredini’s repetitive but iconic score with surprising clarity. The opening FBI sting explodes with visceral impact, loud gunfire, rocket blasts, and Jason’s grunts hit with dynamic heft, utilizing the surround channels to envelop you in the mayhem. Gnarly kills, from throat rips to bodies torn apart, land with wet, gruesome thuds that make your skin crawl, while ambient Crystal Lake sounds (crickets, wind) add moody depth. Low-end bass is punchy during action beats, though it occasionally overpowers subtler moments. Some dialogue, likely due to the ‘90s source, feels tinny, and the score’s droning loops don’t always shine, but these are minor gripes. Arrow’s audio restoration is a stellar effort, much like its visual restoration.
Special Features
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of both the Theatrical Cut and the Unrated Cut
- Original lossless stereo and DTS-HD 5.1 surround audio on both cuts
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
- Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by JA Kerswell and original production notes
DISC ONE - THEATRICAL CUT:
- Introduction to the film by director Adam Marcus
- Faces of Death, a brand new interview with special make-up effects creator Robert Kurtzman
- Undercover Angel, a brand new interview with actor Julie Michaels
- Mixing it Up, a brand new interview with composer Harry Manfredini
- The Gates of Hell, an archival interview with director Adam Marcus
- Jason vs. Terminator, director Adam Marcus on growing up with the Cunninghams
- Über-Jason, an archival interview with Kane Hodder on playing Jason
- Additional TV footage, with optional commentary by director Adam Marcus
- Theatrical trailer and TV spots
- Stills, behind-the-scenes and poster galleries
DISC TWO - UNRATED CUT
- Brand new audio commentary with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton
- Archival audio commentary with director Adam Marcus and author Peter Bracke
- Archival audio commentary with director Adam Marcus and screenwriter Dean Lorey
These extras (Which are a mix of new content and extras pulled from 2020’s Scream Factory Blu-ray release) reveal a film with bold ambitions that crashed and burned, as the interviews underscore a vision to reinvent Jason with supernatural body-hopping and complex Voorhees lore. Marcus and Kurtzman passionately defend the shift from Crystal Lake stabbings to a demonic slug saga, citing influences like Terminator and a desire to break the franchise’s repetitive mould. But the execution, as the features inadvertently highlight, was a chaotic misfire, convoluted mythology and Jason’s absence alienated fans, a point even the enthusiastic commentary can’t dodge. Marcus does go into detail about how the final film wasn't really his own due to studio interference, and how he'd “Ridley Scott” it with his own cut if he had the chance. The lack of a making-of documentary to fully unpack the production’s stumbles or address cut footage (like the rumoured giant demon Jason) feels like a missed opportunity. Still, the features’ depth and the gorgeous packaging make this a worthwhile set for completists, even if the film’s failed experiment looms large.
Arrow Video’s 4K UHD Limited Edition of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday is a technical marvel strictly for Friday the 13th fanatics, transforming a disaster through sheer restoration wizardry and fan-focused extras, despite the film’s utter failure to earn such love, it's a top-notch release. The 4K scan delivers razor-sharp visuals, with HDR10/Dolby Vision making gnarly kills like throat rips and torn bodies grotesquely vibrant, while the DTS-HD 5.1 audio immerses you in gunfire and gruesome thuds, outshining the limp score. Nearly five hours of special features, including new interviews with Robert Kurtzman and Adam Marcus, reveal a botched attempt to reinvent Jason with demon-slug nonsense, paired with gorgeous packaging of a reversible sleeve, Gary Pullin art, and a lush booklet that is a winner for collectors. The film’s incoherent plot and absent Jason remain indefensible, but Arrow’s obsessive care makes this a winner for completists who can stomach the trash fire within.
Arrow Video's Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday 4K UHD Limited Edition is available now.
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Synopsis:
Jason Voorhees, the undying serial killer is back at Crystal Lake. Jessica, the last remaining descendant of the Voorhees family is the only person who can kill Jason before he becomes immortal.