For 25 years, moviegoers have been traumatized by airplanes, log trucks, roller coasters, and more thanks to the Final Destination franchise. When I heard we were getting a 6th entry, Final Destination Bloodlines, I admit that I was skeptical about its necessity. My concerns were eased a bit when I saw that there was a heavier focus on gastro horror elements (I’ll admit to my bias). Now having seen it, I can safely say that it was, in fact, necessary, and it’s probably my favorite of the franchise. I’m going to try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, but there will be some, so consider yourself warned.
In Final Destination Bloodlines, “plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.”
It can be hard for a franchise to stay fresh by its 6th entry. However, in a lot of modern franchises, there seems to be an upswing. We see it in the Paranormal Activity franchise, the Saw franchise, and the Scream franchise. I’m sure there are a lot of folks who will disagree with me, but it seems like frequently the 6th film marks a rise. Final Destination Bloodlines is no exception. While Final Destination 5 has grown on me, the 4th and 5th films were not nearly as good as the first three (stay tuned for my franchise ranking coming later this week). I never thought any Final Destination movie could get better than Final Destination 2, but Bloodlines said, “Hold my glass-filled drink because Death knocked the beer off the counter.”
The main premonition made my gastro horror-loving heart so happy. While the series has plenty of gastro deaths and even some restaurant settings, the main attraction has never been gastro-related. We are treated to meat carving, flambe, creme brulee cracking visions, and more. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of 50s-60s upscale dining. It’s also worth mentioning that this is the second time this year that we’ve had a skyline restaurant appear in a genre film. The other was Drop (Blu-ray review will be coming soon). Will this be like the concert horror movie trend of 2024? Only time will tell, but one can hope!
I won’t spoil the film with specifics, but I really appreciated how they tied this movie to the others and made the franchise as a whole fit together better. The films no longer feel like one-offs with no sense of why certain people have the premonitions and why some don’t survive. This change made Bloodlines not feel like more of the same thing we’ve been watching for 25 years. I’d argue that Bloodlines will make audiences appreciate the Final Destination franchise more as a whole. When it’s released on physical, I definitely want to rewatch all 6 movies back to back. Maybe even in chronological order for good measure!
Even with some of these changes and additions, your favorite Final Destination tidbits you’ve come to love and expect are still there. The finger prick to let you know you’re about to see a premonition. Needle drops that are bountiful and fit the moment perfectly. The clues before the various deaths are all there, and if you’re a murder mystery fan like I am, you’ll feel like Hercule Poirot trying to figure out what’s next. Two of my favorites were creme brulee cracking and a blender full of a red slushy type beverage.
Speaking of Final Destination regulars, Tony Todd’s appearance and monologue are especially poignant given his recent passing. As somber as the moment was (and there was not a dry eye in the house), it was very fitting. I’m glad he got to play the role one more time and go out on what felt like his own terms.
Final Destination Bloodlines is a welcome addition to a franchise I thought was pretty much dead. Clearly, Death had other plans, though. Do I want more? Probably not. I think this was a perfect way to end it, especially now that Tony Todd is no longer with us. That said, go see this on the biggest screen possible, if for no other reason than the opening scene. Final Destination Bloodlines hits theaters on Friday, May 16th.
My Rating: 4.5/5
I am glad they did the franchise justice. And gave Tony Todd a good send off.
It was really well done and Tony’s scene wrecked me!