FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES

Directors
Zach Lipovsky
Adam B Stein

Starring
Kaitlyn Santa Juana
Teo Briones
Brec Bassinger

In the late 1960s a series of terrible accidents occur on the opening night of the luxurious Sky View Restaurant tower. Gruesome, playfully violent, and tinged with a dark comedy – everyone attending suffers a most grisly end. Yet the vision of this entire ordeal is seen by college student, Stefani Reyes [Santa Juana], in waking dreams; haunting her for the last two months. With her grades slipping, Stefani is put on academic probation and goes home to try and figure it all out. Turns out the horrifying events in question were part of death’s master plan, witnessed and averted by Stefani’s grandmother [Bassinger]. And death has spent decades working through a long list to correct the tally, finally getting to Stefani and her family.

Horror franchises are notorious for being cheap, easy to produce, money printing exercises. And throughout the 2000s, Final Destination was a prime example of a unique concept that was simply rinsed-and-repeated to death. But, after a fourteen year absence, we finally have a sixth instalment; one which is infused with 2000s nostalgia. Not through needle drops or returning fashion (although there is a lot of that in Richard Harmon’s character alone). But with a grim creativity and a gleeful abandon that captures the best parts of the early 2000s writing. However, what makes this a fine return to form, isn’t the franchise’s notable absence alone, it’s the simple, straightforward prompt of a premise, that focuses on telling a good, contained, standalone story. And where something like The Monkey tried to somewhat fill the void, there’s no replacing the vibe of the original. Because Final Destination Bloodlines understands part of the fun is manically looking for the clues to the pending Rube Goldberg machine of death, like some twisted hazard perception test of anxiety and possibility.

Another key factor which has been taken into consideration is the characters themselves. Whereas almost every iteration to date has been about friends or strangers in the wrong place, at the wrong time, this story pulls on the unique thread of an entire family group, and all the drama that goes with that dynamic. Taking a leaf out of Halloween 2018’s book, we are hit with themes of generational trauma, fears of parenthood, and anxiety, and how that manifests as coping mechanisms and quick-to-bristle attitudes. Each family member feels rounded, believable, and real, while also displaying their own memorable personality and presence. That said, it should be noted that while audiences require great characterisation to motivate a desire to see these individuals succeed, you also want them to have enough of an edge that satisfies the innate desire to see the very same people die horribly. It’s a tricky one to get right, but this script and these performances successfully manage to reel you in, beyond the point of waning suspension of disbelief.

Another strong component supporting this release, is the fact it has some money behind it. As mentioned above, horror is notoriously cheap. Effects are often practical, the cast are generally unknown, and the locations are claustrophobic and contemporary. Final Destination Bloodlines, on the other hand, is a rare example of a mid-tier budget horror film where every penny shows on-screen (unintentional pun there). From the 1960s cold open – which is such an excessive and gleefully macabre display – to the rich cinematography and graphic deaths, the budget has been deployed well; investing in the moments audiences are craving the most.

***spoilers contained within***
That said, for all the exhilaration and sadistic amusement, this movie is far from perfect. It gets a pass for giving the franchise a new lease of life, and affording audiences an escape from self-serious concept pieces, to just revel in absurd death, but it’s not without major flaws. As with all Final Destination narratives, there’s countless examples of missed opportunities that are lazily spun as “well, that’s just death’s plan”, a few character reveals that are perfectly plausible but feel like a cheap distraction, and there’s the fact that certain non-blood family members are sidelined when the script can’t figure out what to do with them. What’s more, while the film is a surprisingly breezy 110 minutes, it still wraps up a little too quickly. When we get down to the final three victims, the logic that has got them through the film’s runtime is suddenly abandoned. What I’m referring to, specifically, is the suggestion of going to Iris’ cabin, as if it’s some sort of death-free sanctuary – something completely inaccurate, as demonstrated earlier by death trying to kill Iris within her home. “I see you, you fuck!” And the fact it’s such a dilapidated death trap only confirms that; leaving the finale feeling rushed and a touch under-baked.

Regardless of minor imperfections, Final Destination Bloodlines takes all the core components you would want from this franchise, injects a hint of nuance and development, and serves it up for a new generation to enjoy. For that, it will likely receive waves of praise and more money than any previous instalment. But with this film being so self-contained and well-made, it will be interesting to see how quickly a sequel is penned and if that continuation (like most Final Destination movies) fails to live up to the strengths of its predecessor.

Release Date:
16 May 2025

The Scene To Look Out For:
In a moment of meta self-awareness, Stefani is explaining the various risks that could befall her cousin. Looking around in a panic, she sees the possibility of death in the most ridiculous chains of events. And part of the reason these mad suggestions are so funny, is because the audience is doing the exact same mental gymnastics, trying to figure out how the film will place clues and items that will later be used to manufacture a hilariously extravagant kill.

Notable Characters:
This will likely be the final on-screen appearance of the late Tony Todd. A powerful figure in the horror franchise and a core part of the Final Destination legacy. As such, I’m at odds with the inclusion of his character. On the one hand, this is a beautiful and elegant send off, but by filling in the character’s backstory it also slightly spoils the mystique, and scuppers the fan theory that he is in fact the personification of death.

Highlighted Quote:
“If you fuck with death and lose things can get very messy.”

In A Few Words:
“Schlocky fun that completely understands the assignment and delivers exactly what audiences will want.”

Total Score: 3/5