Friday the 13th is getting a TV series, and this supernatural chiller should too

Metro

5 days ago

The Friday the 13th TV series, Crystal Lake, has risen from the depths once more since A24 and Peacock have reportedly begun production after months of doubt.
Series creator Brad Caleb Kane recently posted a photo of a Crystal Lake production draft script on Instagram, and not long after, it was announced that Scooby-Doo's Linda Cardellini would be playing Mrs Voorhees.
Crystal Lake joins the likes of The Exorcist, Scream, Child's Play, Psycho, and Evil Dead making the leap from the big screen onto our televisions.
It's not the only huge horror franchise making its way to TV in the near future, as HBO's Welcome to Derry is set to explore the origins of Stephen King's IT.
With various horror films being transformed into TV series which explore their lore, there is one underrated gem that seems perfect to binge-watch on a streaming service.
2001's Thirteen Ghosts.
Based on the 1960 film of the same name by William Castle, Thirteen Ghosts begins with ghost hunter Cyrus Kriticos (F. Murray Abraham) and his psychic assistant Dennis Rafkin (Matthew Lillard) trying to capture a spirit – but it kills Cyrus in the process.
We then skip to Cyrus' nephew Arthur (Tony Shalhoub), his children Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alec Roberts), and their nanny Maggie (Rah Digga), learning that Arthur has inherited Cyrus' mansion.
Dennis, who tracks them to the house, recognises barrier spells on the glass, deducing that 12 angry ghosts of the Black Zodiac have been trapped in the house.
Unbeknownst to the family when they enter, the house contains a machine powered by the ghosts, which allows whoever uses it to see the past, present, and future – they later find out it is fueled by the creation of a 13th ghost.
Cyrus' estate agent Ben (JR Bourne) accidentally triggers a mechanism that unleashes the ghosts. And with that, chaos ensues.
My best friend introduced me to the film during a sleepover when we were both 10 years old, and I instantly became obsessed with the quirky, camp chiller blending heart-pumping jump scares, witty one-liners, and a gripping backstory that hooks you in and keeps you seated.
We poured over the DVD extras long after we'd told her mum we'd go to sleep, learning all about the backstories of the weird and terrifying ghosts stalking Cyrus' home.
While Thirteen Ghosts doesn't reinvent the haunted house genre – it certainly didn't do well at the box office nor make a splash among critics – Steve Beck's fun, frightening flick has what it takes to grip the hearts of a brand new generation of TV lovers.
One common comment from fans of the cult film is that there is a real interest to learn more about the ghosts, which have so far only been elaborated on in the DVD's special features.
The feature-length film doesn't give us enough time to understand their lives before the afterlife, what exactly led to their untimely demise or how they were captured by Cyrus.
We could have an anthology-style series, with each episode focusing on a different ghost from the Black Zodiac, or cutting between their backstory and the mysteries in the present as Dennis, Arthur, and his family become trapped.
The film told us that the ghosts died across history, from the Pilgrims through to modern day, covering everything from serial killers getting their comeuppance to tragic accidents and sinister murders.
But delving into them individually could be a perfect way to learn more.
It could create settings and character types to suit all types of horror fans, whether you opt for a classic slasher, a true crime thriller, or a gooey creature feature.
These ghosts have origin stories that cover several themes still prevalent today, such as The Hammer being a Black man whose wife and children were brutally killed by racists, forcing him to take revenge in his grief.
The Angry Princess took her own life as she could never truly be happy with her appearance following a cosmetic surgery gone wrong, and The Pilgrimess was tortured to death on the suspicion that she was a witch.
The First Born Son /Billy Michaels, a child accidentally shot in the head with an arrow
/Billy Michaels, a child accidentally shot in the head with an arrow The Torso /Jimmy 'The Gambler' Gambino, a gambling addict murdered by a mobster, loosely based on the real-life Cleveland Torso Murders
/Jimmy 'The Gambler' Gambino, a gambling addict murdered by a mobster, loosely based on the real-life Cleveland Torso Murders The Bound Woman /Susan LeGrow, a woman murdered by her boyfriend for cheating
/Susan LeGrow, a woman murdered by her boyfriend for cheating The Withered Lover /Jean Kriticos, the wife of Arthur, who died in a house fire
/Jean Kriticos, the wife of Arthur, who died in a house fire The Torn Prince /Royce Clayton, a high school student who drove off a cliff in a drag racing accident when his brake line was cut
/Royce Clayton, a high school student who drove off a cliff in a drag racing accident when his brake line was cut The Angry Princess /Dana Newman, a woman suffering from Body Dysmorphia Disorder, who takes her own life following a cosmetic surgery gone wrong
/Dana Newman, a woman suffering from Body Dysmorphia Disorder, who takes her own life following a cosmetic surgery gone wrong The Pilgrimess /Isabella Smith, a woman confined to the stocks to starve to death after being accused of being a witch
/Isabella Smith, a woman confined to the stocks to starve to death after being accused of being a witch The Great Child and The Dire Mother /Harold and Margaret Shelbourne, sideshow workers with a tragic backstory. Margaret is suffocated to death by the carnival workers, while Harold is executed after taking revenge
/Harold and Margaret Shelbourne, sideshow workers with a tragic backstory. Margaret is suffocated to death by the carnival workers, while Harold is executed after taking revenge The Hammer /George Markley, a man brutally tortured and murdered by racists who also tormented and killed his family
/George Markley, a man brutally tortured and murdered by racists who also tormented and killed his family The Jackal /Ryan Kuhn, a terrifying sexual predator who died in a fire at the asylum he was eventually committed to
/Ryan Kuhn, a terrifying sexual predator who died in a fire at the asylum he was eventually committed to The Juggernaut/Horace 'The Breaker' Mahoney, a serial killer gunned down by a SWAT team during his eventual capture
Racism, violence against women, and impossible beauty standards are themes we can still connect to now, just like we could in the 2000s.
Aside from the backstory of the ghosts, the idea of a group trapped in a strange home with supernatural beings they can only see through specialist goggles is a recipe for tense scares and intrigue.
Ghostly thrillers in a simple location have proved a hit on streaming services – look at Haunting of Hill House – thanks to the nerve-shredding atmosphere where malevolent spirits invade a space that should feel safe.
As well as the mystery of the undead, there is a survival thriller element, with our subjects trying desperately to uncover the purpose of the house – and find out where exactly the 13th Ghost is.
Then, there's Cyrus Kriticos himself – the enigmatic villain. More Trending
Thirteen Ghosts currently sits at a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and made a lowly $68 million (£51 million) at the box office, yet it has gained an avid cult following over the years, dubbing it a classic horror film.
Film franchises with far less source material have made multiple seasons of television, and yet Thirteen Ghosts has lore stretching through centuries, ready to terrify a new generation.
If any horror film deserves to be turned into a TV series, it's the laugh-out-loud yet jump scare-laden Thirteen Ghosts – Netflix, if you're reading, let's make it happen.
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Thirteen Ghosts is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and the Sky Store
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