What is the appeal of The Friday the 13th movies?

This question makes me sad. I used to agree with you. I loved certain parts of the series before, but I never had any real motivation to watch all of it and get invested. Then one day, I got bored. Thank God for making me bored that day, because I've been hooked - obsessed even - since that day. If I want to relax, I put in an F13 movie. I even run a F13 dedicated blog on Tumblr; that's how devoted I am. I don't disagree that the movies basically run on the same formula but it's a formula that works for the series. Jason isn't just a mute idiot, there's actually a bit of character development there. The characters within each movie mostly tend to be really lovable so you hate to see them die. They aren't really meant to be Oscar-worthy films. They know what they are and they make the films to garner interest for their designated demographics.

But don't take my word for it. I'd recommend giving the series a chance - if only based on the slim chance that since I used to be indifferent, I now adore it. Not saying it will happen to you but it might. I also wouldn't judge by the first film either. While awesome, it's really not the best in the series. Out of 12 films, there are bound to be duds - but the good outweigh the bad here.