Crystal Lake: Review

The Friday the 13th horror series is iconic with its mix of sexually promiscuous teens, bloody slaughter and the legend of a killer in the woods all wrapped up into one.

So it's perhaps surprising that a TV series feels the need to explore the backstory of the Voorhees family especially, given that most prequels trying to give credence to killers' behaviour generally derails what follows.

And in truth, episode one of Crystal Lake is not really the strongest of openings for what goes on to be a compelling series about grief and the power of awakening against the backdrop of trauma.

While it takes a little while to get going, Crystal Lake belongs squarely to Linda Cardellini who delivers a stellar performance as Pamela Voorhees, the mother whose child Jason drowns in the lake as those in charge are engaged in their own canoodling.

There's a slow and steady pace to episode one, which verges on somnambulant in parts as it builds to the inevitable death of Jason; and while Cardellini makes her Voorhees a grieving mother with subtlety, it soon becomes clear this Pamela is no victim.

Jumping nine months on after the death and with no body in sight, Pam's soon finding herself at the lake, constantly hoping to see Jason - much to the horror of the camp's inhabitants and the villagers themselves. However, with locals claiming to have seen a bear in the woods and body parts showing up, the focus soon shifts to what's haunting the region.

Crystal Lake is a better series when it moves away from the horrors of the slaughter that became so iconic in the film franchise. By giving this more of a psychological bent and slanting it more to Pamela Voorhees, what emerges is a series that's a little smarter and more deserving of the A24 label it carries.

Yes, there's a familiar tale of an oppressed woman finding her power and yes, it's another spin on males abusing their position, but Crystal Lake benefits greatly from both Cardellini's fragility and strengths as an actress. There's much to be said about the show that's currently under wraps at the behest of those behind it, but there are some smart subversions of what you'd expect of the prequel to the infamous killer and certainly episode 7 of the show is one of the most upsetting hours of TV you're likely to see this year.

That's due to the investment you'll put into Cardellini's Pam and her journey (it's never a plight, because the character finds unexpected strengths) and while there are nods to the horror franchise along with some truly gnarly kills that wouldn't feel out of place in the 1980s film genre, the shocks and disturbing elements are mostly of the mind.

Crystal Lake takes a dip into the horror genre but at its heart, this is a tender and upsetting portrayal of the impact of grief, the desperation of a mother thwarted and of a life changed. It's hard to say the word victim here, because in truth, this is a perverse journey of empowerment made all the richer by its final girl's powerhouse performance.  

All eight episodes of Crystal Lake were viewed for the purposes of this review.

Crystal Lake premieres on Neon from Thursday, October 15.