All Of The Hatchet Movies, Ranked (Including Victor Crowley)

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Nearly 20 years ago, Adam Green created one of modern horror's true icons when he introduced the world to Victory Crowley in 2006's "Hatchet." A lean, mean, unabashedly gory showcase of bloody practical effects helped the film stand out, leading to three sequels over the course of the next decade and change.

Led by horror legend Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley, Green churned out a series of uncompromising grindhouse-y follow-ups that helped put him on the map in the slasher genre. While these movies were never anywhere near as mainstream as the "Friday the 13th" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" films, they offered up something unique in the landscape of 2000s horror. They felt grimy, cheesy, and otherwise shocking. To this day, they exist as a testament to what one can accomplish with relatively minimal resources and a can-do indie filmmaking spirit.

But which of these movies stands tall above the rest? Which of these films ensured that Victor Crowley would go down as a slasher to remember alongside the likes of Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers? Which of these blood-soaked, swampside murder fests reigns supreme? We're going to rank all four "Hatchet" films, including 2017's "Victor Crowley," from worst to best. Let's get into it.

I should probably start out by saying that, for those who enjoy this brand of over-the-top slasher flick, there isn't an outright bad movie in this franchise. That said, by the time BJ McDonnell stepped in for Adam Green to helm "Hatchet III," it was clear the property was spinning its wheels a little bit. There are still plenty of great kills and Victor even gets to mix it up with a swat team this time. Even so, it does feel lesser than both its predecessors and eventual fourth installment.

The film picks up after Marybeth (Danielle Harris) seemingly kills Crowley for good and winds up at odds with a local policeman (Zach Galligan) who's trying to get to the bottom of the bloodshed. Marybeth then teams up with the cop's ex-wife to put an end to the murderous rampage for good.

Green was still heavily involved this time around, and it shows, from the script to the execution. When the blood spills, it feels like we never left the swamp. We also get Galligan (the star of "Gremlins") and "Friday the 13th" (2009) lead Derek Mears in on the action, adding even more genre stars to this franchise's already impressive list.

For whatever fun there is to be had in this bout of brutality, "Hatchet III" feels like it's the most strapped for ideas before reaching its conclusion, which sees Crowley being put to rest after years of being trapped in his bizarre swampy purgatory. It's all a little anticlimactic and comes across as more of the same, which is often when slasher franchises, in particular, can get stuck in the mud. Though it does resolve Marybeth's character arc and delivers some very memorable kills (hello, defibrillator to the head), more doesn't equal better in this case.

"Hatchet II" is more akin to "Halloween II" than it is to, say, "Aliens." That's to say, it didn't need to go bigger to improve on what came before. Rather, it's a direct continuation of the events of the first "Hatchet," giving audiences more of what they want while also letting Green flex his skills a little more confidently. From increasing the sense of fun to getting scream queen Danielle Harris to take over the role of Marybeth, this film proved that "Hatchet" deserved to be a franchise rather than a one-and-done.

The sequel sees Marybeth learn the truth about her family's connection to Victor Crowley as she returns to the Louisiana swamps along with an army of hunters to recover the bodies of her loved ones. It also introduces "Candyman" legend Tony Todd as Reverend Voodoo, adding more horror legacy star power to the action.

It would be easy to argue that "Hatchet II" is at least as good as its predecessor, and many out there would probably argue it's better. It's really a coin toss, and that's a testament to Green's execution. This is where Hodder, a man who's also played Jason, Freddy, and Leatherface, ensured he was going to add another enduring slasher to his accomplished resume. From some of the most over-the-top practical gore to the biggest chainsaw one is ever likely to see, there's a lot to love here.

In the era of "Terrifier" becoming a mainstream franchise, it seems silly that "Hatchet II" was actually pulled from theaters during its original release. More of a bandage of honor and a testament to Green's commitment to doing these movies his way, it says everything one needs to know about this sequel. It goes hard and has a lot of fun in the process.

In 2006, horror had been consumed by torture porn, in no small part thanks to the success of "Saw" in 2004. But not all gore is created equal. Movies like "Hostel" exist as an endurance test for the audience. Green, meanwhile, decided to craft something even more gory while existing on the complete opposite end of the spectrum with "Hatchet." Not a punishing experience but rather, for the sickos out there, a gleefully disgusting ride with a high body count. This movie still stands in stark contrast to much of what the genre seemed to be at the time.

The film follows college students Ben (Joel David Moore) and Marcus (Deon Richmond) as they visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras. There, they join an eclectic group of unsuspecting tourists in taking a boat tour of an allegedly cursed bayou, only to discover that the curse is very real. Let the bodies hit the floor, as it were.

If we were to rank the "Hatchet" franchise's kills, it's likely that Victor ripping the head clean off one of the tourists here with his bare hands would top that list. It's a shining moment. At a time when many horror classics were being remade or rebooted, Green made a strong case for originality and bringing something new into the world. Despite the limitations of a shoestring budget, he crafted something worthy of enduring in the larger slasher canon. Cheesy and unrelenting, this movie still feels like a hidden, punk rock horror gem one might've found in the back of a video store in the heyday of Blockbuster.

A franchise was born from the blood that was spilled on this little film's behalf. Still, if this were the only thing to ever come of it, it would still be a bloodstained treasure.

It's rare that any franchise arguably peaks with its fourth entry, but here we are. When Adam Green filmed a fourth "Hatchet" movie in secret and announced its release in 2017, the buzz was palpable amongst horror fans. The title of that film, "Victor Crowley," also spoke volumes about the titular character's rise to prominence as a slasher figure of note. "Victor Crowley is back!" felt like a big deal. What made it an even bigger deal is the fact that Green delivered the goods.

"Victor Crowley" picks up a decade after the massacre in Louisiana's Honey Island Swamp. Andrew (Parry Shen) is now the lone survivor, but his claims that Victor was responsible for the horrific massacre are met with skepticism. That is, until a plane crashes with a rag-tag group of strangers back in the swamp and, surprise! Victor is mistakenly resurrected. Carnage ensues.

In the same way that "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives" is oft-considered the best movie in that franchise, this film feels like a similar victory lap for the scrappy little slasher property that could. You can feel Hodder's confidence and glee under all of that impressive makeup. "Victor Crowley" itself is both funny and delightfully ridiculous. It completely changes up the formula, with rewarding results. It's also the opposite of "Hatchet III" in that it feels like Green really had an idea worth executing here.

Despite still being a low-budget affair, everything in this movie feels bigger. Green is at his most confident behind the camera, Hodder truly settles into Victor's shoes, and the franchise's human cast is the most fun it's ever been. "Victor Crowley" feels like the mission statement of the "Hatchet" films perfected.

You can grab "Hatchet" on Blu-ray from Amazon.