It’s been a big week for Final Destination fans with the newest entry hitting theaters this weekend after almost 15 years! In case you missed it, I reviewed Final Destination Bloodlines a few days ago, and over on Daily Dead, I wrote about all of the gastro-related deaths in the franchise. I thought it would be fun to continue the fun of celebrating this 25-year-old franchise by expanding upon my Letterboxd ranking list, so here we are!
I’ll be starting with my least favorite and working my way up. My number one pick actually changed this week, so this is sure to be a wild ride, and I’m sure that there will be opinions here that some consider hot takes!
6. The Final Destination– A horrifying premonition saves a young man and his friends from death during a racetrack accident, but terrible fates await them nonetheless. As the 4th out of 6 films, despite its name, this clearly isn’t the final entry. However, it’s not a great film (though not unwatchable). As with a lot of later early aught horror films, the color palette is kind of wonky and over-exposed, and the effects meant for 3D don’t hold up. Due to the CGI, the kills feel overlayed onto the actors versus interacting with them. Additionally, Tony Todd has no role in this entry either, which is pretty disappointing. (My Rating: 2.5/5)
5. Final Destination 5– Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda. This entry is a mixed bag for me; on the whole, it’s fairly mid, but I love the ending and how it ties into the series as a whole. It has grown on me since my first watch, so if you remember not loving this one, it may be worth a revisit. (My Rating: 3/5)
4. Final Destination 3– High school senior Wendy’s premonition of a deadly rollercoaster ride saves her life and a lucky few, but not from death itself, which seeks out those who escaped their fate. The 3rd film is a pretty enjoyable watch with fun kills. Like The Final Destination, it has a somewhat weird yellowish color grading that seemed ever-present at the time. (My Rating 3/5)
3. Final Destination– After a teenager has a terrifying vision of himself and his friends dying in a plane crash, he prevents the accident only to have Death hunt them down, one by one. I may take some heat for having this not be in my top two, but while it’s a solid early aught horror film, I just enjoy a few of the other entries better. That said, Ms. Lewton’s death is still one of my favorites in the franchise. (My Rating: 3.5/5)
2. Final Destination 2– When Kimberly has a violent premonition of a highway pileup, she blocks the freeway, keeping a few others meant to die, safe…Or are they? The survivors mysteriously start dying, and it’s up to Kimberly to stop it before she’s next. Believe it or not, this was the first Final Destination movie I ever saw. I remember sitting in the theater being blown away. Up until very recently, it was my favorite of the franchise. It’s still a solid film with great-looking effects. Plus, that log truck scene will forever and always be traumatizing. (My Rating 4.5/5)
1. 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. As I said in my Letterboxd review, Bloodlines delivers great gastro horror, fun kills, emotional moments, and despite being longer than most entries, never overstays its welcome. Final Destination has never been better than this entry! (My Rating: 4.5/5)
I hope y’all enjoyed revisiting the Final Destination franchise with me. I’d love to hear your rankings! Leave them in the comments below or share a link to your Letterboxd list on mine! Should I do more rankings? What franchise should I tackle next? Let me know below!