Is Friday the 13th Part III (1982) scary?

Not particularly — Friday the 13th Part III (1982)'s appeal is atmospheric or thematic rather than overtly scary. As a slasher film, it scored 3.0/10 for fear, 5.0/10 for atmosphere, and 5.5/10 overall on Watch Darkly's curator scale across 1 rating.

What is Friday the 13th Part III (1982)'s US theatrical release date?

Friday the 13th Part III (1982)'s US theatrical release date is August 13, 1982.

How many jump scares are in Friday the 13th Part III (1982)?

Friday the 13th Part III (1982) has 7 jump scares, based on its logged jump-scare count.

What age is Friday the 13th Part III (1982) appropriate for?

Friday the 13th Part III (1982) is rated R. Watch Darkly does not assign its own age rating, so here is what the film actually contains. On Watch Darkly's curator scale it scored 3.0/10 for fear, 4.0/10 for gore, and 4.0/10 for intensity, where 10 is the highest score. It has 7 jump scares. Content warnings on file: eye trauma.

Who is in the cast of Friday the 13th Part III (1982)?

Dana Kimmell plays Chris Higgins, Paul Kratka plays Rick, Richard Brooker plays Jason, Catherine Parks plays Vera Sanchez, Tracie Savage plays Debbie, David Wiley plays Abel, Rachel Howard plays Chili, Anne Gaybis plays Cashier.

What are some films like Friday the 13th Part III (1982)?

Films similar to Friday the 13th Part III (1982) on Watch Darkly include Sleepaway Camp (1983), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), The Burning (1981), selected by shared themes and tags plus the curator scoring across fear, gore, atmosphere, intensity, and overall quality.

Metadata and artwork from TMDB. Not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Slasher

Friday the 13th Part III

1982 · R · 1h 35m

Curator Score5.5/ 10

A new dimension in terror…

Release & where to watch

In theaters: August 13, 1982

Where to watchUS, as of Nov 12, 2026

Included with a subscription: Paramount Plus Essential Paramount+ Amazon Channel AMC
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Plus 3 more to rent or buy and 1 free with ads. Show all 10

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Watch Darkly

Curator Certificate

5.5

Out of ten

Passed by one curator

Fear3.0

Gore4.0

Atmosphere5.0

Intensity4.0

Reader score

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How we score

A quieter watch, light on gore.

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Jump scares

Friday the 13th Part III has 7 jump scares. Compare with other films

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An idyllic summer turns into a nightmare of unspeakable terror for yet another group of naïve friends. Ignoring Camp Crystal Lake's bloody legacy, one by one they fall victim to the maniacal Jason, who stalks them at every turn...

Plot summary via TMDB

Genres

horrorthriller

Tags

Subgenre

Slasher Teen Serial killer

Tone

Campy

Setting

Isolated location Rural

Content Warnings

Eye trauma

Directed by

Steve Miner

Written by

Carol Watson, Martin Kitrosser

Cinematography

Gerald Feil

Music

Harry Manfredini

Starring

Dana Kimmell as Chris Higgins · Paul Kratka as Rick · Richard Brooker as Jason · Catherine Parks as Vera Sanchez · Tracie Savage as Debbie · David Wiley as Abel · Rachel Howard as Chili · Anne Gaybis as Cashier

Production

Frank Mancuso Jr. Productions, Georgetown Productions, Jason Productions, Paramount Pictures, Sean S. Cunningham Films

Budget

$2.3M

Box office

$36.7M

Reviews

Curator reviews are written by the curator after watching the film.

blessedmakerCurator

Aug 13, 2026

Overall5.5Fear3Atmos.5Gore4

Nothing redeeming in this movie for me. None of the characters or deaths really stood out to me. The biker gang was a weird touch. The film didn't bring anything new to the table, and didn't try to approach something at a different angle. Anything really, to officially put it's own unique stamp on the franchise, or to execute on at least one thing well ALMOST 100% squandered except for one thing: the iconic Jason mask is the only positive thing that stood out to me. But a hockey mask on a killer can't lift a film. Personally felt the practical effects took a step backwards in quality and believability. Watching this was a chore.

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