Hatchet's hulking, brutal slasher Victor Crowley has so far pulverized his way through four films, and here's how they stack up, worst to best. For the most part, they just don't make slasher icons like they used to. While plenty of slasher flicks still get made, it's rare to find anyone on the level of notoriety and respect within the horror community as say a Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, or Michael Myers. A prime candidate for best slasher icon to emerge since the heyday of that unholy trio though is Victor Crowley.
While Victor isn't nearly as culturally ubiquitous as the prior three were back in the 1980s slasher glory days, he's a visually interesting, menacingly-depicted behemoth that just screams out "this isn't a person to mess with." Well, assuming one can count Victor as a person, since he's technically been dead for decades. Still, partly thanks to having fan-favorite Jason actor Kane Hodder under the makeup, Victor Crowley sports an air of utter intimidation.
That only increases once one sees him in action, as Victor rips apart and just decimates victims with his bare hands, in a manner that Michael Myers would probably witness and slowly back away from. While it remains to be seen if a fifth Hatchet will materialize, fans will always have these four films to satiate their bloodlust.
4. Hatchet 2
It's worth noting right off that for a slasher fan, none of the Hatchet movies could really be called outright bad. They all provide Victor Crowley annihilating whoever gets in his path, and come with a good amount of comic relief in between the bloodshed. That's all to say that just because Hatchet 2 is the worst one, doesn't mean it's a terrible slasher film. A big knock against it is the decision to largely abandon trying to make Victor scary in exchange for having him fight a group of badasses instead. It's exciting, but not nearly as tense. On the bright side, Danielle Harris taking over as Marybeth Dunston is an inspired bit of casting, and seeing Tony "Candyman" Todd have a brawl with Victor will be enough to make most horror fans cheer.
3. Victor Crowley
After Hatchet 3, it looked like Victor Crowley might finally be dead, but of course, that wouldn't last forever. Victor Crowley arrived about four years later to reignite the franchise, and did a really good job of it, with many considering it the best sequel. The biggest knock against Hatchet 4 is probably just how low budget it looks, to an extent that the previous sequels didn't. It being confined to a single location, that being a crashed plane, also gets a bit repetitive, making viewers long to see more of Victor's swamp again. Some of the characters are also kind off-putting too. But at least it's Victor stalking normal, vulnerable people again.
2. Hatchet 3
Hatchet 3 is the only Hatchet movie to date not to be directed by creator Adam Green, and with all due respect, it's the most visually appealing. Colors, like the orange, fiery hue seen above pop more, and Victor's make-up is also probably the best it's looked to date. Harris is once again great as Marybeth, and the mix of characters for Victor to encounter and/or kill is better balanced this time, sporting both badasses to give Victor a challenge - such as Derek Mears' SWAT leader - and more normal folk for him to chase and frighten. The further evolution of Marybeth into a sort of final girl Rambo is a bit much though.
1. Hatchet
Really, could there be any other choice for the top spot? There are certain things the sequels do better than Green's original Hatchet film, such as the casting of Marybeth, but Hatchet promised old-school American horror, and delivered. Victor's kills are absolutely shocking the first time they're seen, and the jokes are better overall, with Joel David Moore helping out as a very likable co-lead. In many ways, Hatchet is a much less refined film than its follow-ups, but that's part of its throwback charm. Slasher fans should seek Hatchet out if they haven't seen it.