2 weeks ago
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Ironically, the Final Destination film series refuses to die. The franchise has returned in full force with yet another legacy sequel. Once again audiences can expect tedious references to the original films, with obnoxious new characters that don’t hold a candle to the heroes of the past. Miraculously, Final Destination Bloodlines finds a way to do the complete opposite and instead is the freshest entry to date.
Perhaps it’s a result of killing so many characters that there are simply none left to be nostalgic for. The film’s one returning face is that of Tony Todd’s William John Bludworth. Filmed mere months before the late actor’s passing he guides the most recent crop of doomed souls to escape death’s grasp for the last time. In these scenes, there’s a solemnity present that eclipses anything the series has had to offer thus far. Not only is Final Destination Bloodlines a more restrained installation but in presenting the iconic actor’s last lines, it dares to be moving.
That’s not something I thought I’d ever write about a Final Destination film, a series known for painful and explicit death scenes along with even more painful dialogue. With Final Destination Bloodlines, audiences can have thrilling and layered deaths alongside a story worth following. The film’s victims are a family that has eluded death’s grasp to the point where entire generations are marked for demise, and it’s the most interesting plot in a Final Destination film yet.
It’s rare for a movie to hit its stride this late in the game, but Final Destination Bloodlines is a breath of fresh air. It’s extremely well balanced presenting you with characters you like just enough to root for, but not so much that you can’t revel in the ludicrous ways they’ll one by one bite the dust.
The visuals are better, the writing is elevated, the characters are more interesting, and the concept is finally pushed to uncharted territory, giving audiences a true feeling of uncertainty until the very end. It’s also one of the best experiences you can have at the cinema in 2025, with a particularly gruesome scene that received thunderous applause not 10 minutes into the movie.
Rating: Big Screen Watch
Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.
English (US) ·