The New Friday The 13th Movies Horror Fans Crave Have Been Hiding In Plain Sight

"Friday the 13th" fans have been waiting a long, long time to see Jason Voorhees make his triumphant, bloody return. The collective prayers of slasher lovers all over the world were answered recently — sort of — when a new official short film titled "Sweet Revenge" made its debut on YouTube. Directed by Mike P. Nelson ("Wrong Turn"), it's roughly 13 minutes of what we've come to expect from the franchise, but it also feels like a bit of a tease more than anything else.

The last time Jason had a proper cinematic outing was when the 2009 "Friday the 13th" remake hit theaters. After that, things got complicated. We'll get more into that in a moment, but for the last 16 years, slasher fans such as myself have been looking to have that Jason Voorhees itch scratched. "Sweet Revenge" can't fill a void that big. Fortunately, there is something else out there that just might give viewers that sweet, bloody horror flavor they've been craving.

Beginning in 2017, the folks at Womp Stomp Films began releasing a series of "Friday the 13th" fan films titled "Never Hike Alone." Admittedly, "fan film" comes with a certain connotation. These things can vary wildly in quality. And when they get too big, it attracts the wrong kind of attention. The "Star Trek" fan film "Axanar" was even the subject of a major lawsuit. That said, what director Vincente Disanti did with these fan films is cream of the crop stuff. Embracing the past and looking towards the future, they hit the spot.

"Never Hike Alone" is a series of fan films that includes two full-length installments and a prequel titled "Never Hike in the Snow," not to mention a music video called "Disappear." The first film, released in 2017, follows an adventure blogger, Kyle McLeod (Andrew Leighty), who uncovers the long lost remains of Camp Crystal Lake on a backpacking trip. Naturally, he soon crosses paths with Jason.

What sets the first film apart instantly is that Disanti offered up something different, offering elements of found footage and focusing more on one victim, rather than showing Jason rip through a bunch of camp counselors one by one. It's miles above the quality of most fan films one will find on YouTube (all due respect). It also takes some liberties with the canon, but, so far as franchises go, "Friday the 13th" has always been a little wonky when it comes to continuity and whatnot. Most importantly? It feels like a meat and potatoes meal that can satisfy your hunger, whereas "Sweet Revenge" feels like an all-too-small appetizer.

Rather crucially, "Never Hike Alone" also came about as the "Friday the 13th" legal dispute was getting underway, which held up the franchise for years. While we won't get into the nitty gritty of it all here, that lawsuit essentially put a stop to all activities involving Jason Voorhees for quite a while. Luckily, Womp Stomp Films was able to successfully navigate around all of the red tape by just doing its own thing, without a studio's permission, and not for profit. It worked.

As for the other entries, "Never Hike in the Snow" delivers something fans have wanted to see for ages: Jason Voorhees in the snow! It's the shortest of the bunch, but perhaps the most worthwhile. In fact, there were actually plans to do a "Friday the 13th" sequel in the snow at one point, but those fell through when the lawsuit kicked in. Disanti delivered what Hollywood could not.

Since I imagine many people reading this haven't watched the films, I won't spoil where things go in "Never Hike Alone 2," but let's just say it's a treat for longtime fans. Disanti and his crew clearly have a lot of love for the franchise, and it shows. Are the limits of these films' budgets and lack of resources obvious at times? Of course, but they still tap into something "Friday the 13th" fans have truly been missing in a meaningful, sincere way.

Originally, the gang at Womp Stomp Films had plans for even more. Its website alone has treatment posters for "Never Hike Alone III: Jason Takes Crystal Lake" and "Never Hike Alone IV: The Final Hike." As of right now, though, those projects haven't materialized. In the meantime, the Womp Stomp Films team is currently readying "Never Hike Alone: The Final Cut," which "weaves together the complete 'Never Hike Alone' storyline into a single, continuous narrative, with enhanced visual effects, improved sound design, and exclusive new scenes."

With the legal dust settling, the "Friday the 13th" franchise is slowly coming back to life. Peacock is in production on the "Crystal Lake" TV series, which will serve as a prequel to the original movie. The Jason Universe was also launched last year as a way to get more Jason-centric media out into the world, such as "Sweet Revenge." The minds behind the property have also promised a new movie and a new video game, but details remain elusive on that front. So, until that changes, these fan films can help bridge the gap.

You can watch the "Never Hike Alone" films on YouTube right now.