The first Friday the 13th was released in 1980, and since then pop culture, cinema and social norms have changed drastically. As a result, some aspects of the film's impact have changed over time, with the original audience having a different response than modern audiences do. This is particularly true in the instance of the hitchhiker murder.

A young woman named Annie is hitchhiking through the rural countryside on her way to her summer job at Camp Crystal Lake. On the way, she is murdered by an unseen assailant, who has picked her up.

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To original audiences, the fact that a young woman is hitchhiking in the summer would not have been an immediate red flag. It was much more common for a young person to travel that way back then than it is now. Even after the spike of serial killers and their subsequent media attention in the 1970s, teens still had a sense of indestructibility, at least throughout the 80s. With this illusion of safety, teens wouldn't be frightened for Annie. Some may have even found her actions relatable.

This relatability is part of what lends itself to the horror of her death. The audience of the 80s would have believed Annie was safe getting in a stranger's car, especially since the waitress vouches for the first driver at a truck stop. By including this first drive, the movie reinforces that this is a safe way to travel for teen girls, so when Annie gets into another car along the highway, the audience still feels like she is safe.

However, things take a turn for the worst when the driver goes past the turn for Camp Crystal Lake, and Annie is forced to leap from the car in fear. The audience becomes concerned for Annie at the same time Annie grows scared for her well being.

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On the other hand, for a modern audiences, a teen girl hitchhiking through the rural countryside is an immediate cause for concern. There has been nearly 40 years of horror films setting up the expectation that young, female hitchhikers are inherently in danger. Contemporary viewers watch the film and are immediately on edge, anticipating Annie's demise.

These scenes no longer provide a false sense of security; instead, they are a masterclass in suspense. The audience waits for the moment Annie is killed, knowing it's inevitable. There is a moment of disbelief when she survives the first drive, and this provides some relief for audiences until the second ride. Viewers assume this time Annie will not be so lucky, and they are right.

This is why Annie's murder is one of the best moments in the film overall. The set up and execution of her demise works as a successfully scary moment not matter the social context or time period the film is being viewed. The reactions to Annie's journey in the film have changed dramatically over time, but it's consistently effective. There is a timelessness to the murder, and it is said timelessness that helps the original Friday the 13th remain relevant and engaging.

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