Film Review: Final Destination: Bloodlines

I have never worked so hard to avoid a trailer like this one. I wanted to go in with no prior knowledge—just me, my popcorn, and my love for this franchise. I’m so glad I managed to do that because it made the experience much more exhilarating. So, for anyone else in the same boat, let me give you a short version of the sixth instalment in the Final Destination film series. 

Final Destination: Bloodlines is a fresh take on the well-established supernatural horror film franchise. It surpasses its predecessors with a reimagined plotline while still retaining its original essence (hence the title of the movie). You can expect a clever, unpredictable, and spine-chilling experience, complete with a new wave of creative death scenarios—a true gore-fest for the ages. 

Still with me? Okay. I’ll delve deeper with minor spoilers, which were already in the trailer. 

Kaitlyn Santa Juana stars as Stefani Reyes, a college student who unexpectedly inherits her grandmother's terrifying ability to foresee death. After visiting her grandmother, who has secluded herself in a seemingly indestructible cabin, Stefani learns that her grandmother once saved many lives thanks to this premonition. She warns Stefani that death is now coming for her family. Overwhelmed with panic and fear, Stefani attempts to do everything in her power to stop this from happening, but if you have any prior knowledge of the past films…you’ll understand this is not the exception. With Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore and Brec Bassinger in their supporting roles and the unfortunate fate that awaits their characters, we’re taken on a brutal spectacle for the eyes, the ears and all the other senses. 

In one scene, Erik Campbell—played by Richard Harmon—finds himself dancing with death in a gritty red and black tattoo parlour, the perfect backdrop for anything and everything to go wrong. Surrounded by sharp objects, cleaning chemicals, and razor blade fans, you can't help but wonder when this place last passed an inspection. Having seen Richard Harmon in the series The 100, I was naturally rooting for his survival. Yet, as we all know, death takes no pleasure in us messing with its grand design; it pulls no punches, and neither do the directors.

With fourteen long years since the last Final Destination movie, directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein manage to deliver the same shocks and thrills that long-time fans know and love. Final Destination: Bloodlines didn’t miss a step in doing what it does best, truly sending shivers down your spine with inventive and elaborate death sequences. Right from the opening titles, you can’t help but feel unsettled because the film's greatest strength lies in fooling you into thinking you know how someone is going to meet their demise. Each death is so meticulously crafted to exploit everyday objects and situations, transforming seemingly mundane environments into lethal traps. This clever approach underscores the film's themes of mortality and vulnerability. 

Visually, Final Destination: Bloodlines excels in its use of special effects, haunting sound design, and the way it builds tension through suspenseful cinematography. As a former film student, I loved the subtle use of the Dutch tilt symbolising that something was off balance and signalling that the audience should brace themselves for a large amount of bloodbath entertainment.

This film took leaps and bounds without having to reinvent the wheel, while paying a great homage to actor Tony Todd, who plays the infamous and enigmatic mortician, William Bludworth—a character that recurs throughout the franchise. He leaves us with a powerful reminder and message: we often underestimate how much time we have left in life, so it's crucial to make the most of every moment. Just as depicted in these films, death ultimately comes for us all. 

Final Destination: Bloodlines goes another step further by sprinkling in Easter eggs from previous films that dedicated fans will appreciate, and may find themselves wanting to watch them all over again. As for me, did I watch my every step on the way home? Did I opt for the stairs instead of the elevator? Did I take extra care when crossing the street? Absolutely. Absolutely, I did. 

So, if you’re ready for death to take centre stage, watch humans attempt to outwit and escape death’s grand design and think you can handle being traumatised for nearly two hours, then Final Destination: Bloodlines is a sadistic and gruelling good time.

Final Destination: Bloodlines is now showing at Broadway Cinema.