Death runs in the family.
Death runs in the family.
Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein deliver a solid sixth installment with Final Destination: Bloodlines, cementing the franchise’s status as a horror staple. While it falters in areas like character development, Bloodlines injects a shot of adrenaline with its outrageously inventive death scenes, landing it comfortably in the series’ middle tier. Flaws aside, this twisted gore-fest ups the ante with brutal and relentless precision, delivering some of the series’ most jaw-dropping set pieces yet.
The film follows college student Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who has a recurring dream about a tragic restaurant fire in the 1960s. She soon realizes that it’s not just a dream, but a premonition of the fate that awaits her family. Her grandmother Iris (Brec Bassinger/Gabrielle Rose) had miraculously escaped the same tragedy years ago, but now death has a personal vendetta against the entire family. With time running out, Stefanie must defy the inevitable and outsmart death to save her loved ones.
Let’s dive into the details and find out what makes Final Destination: Bloodlines excel – and what holds it back.
Here’s a list of the film’s pros and cons:
Pros
1/ Opening Sequence
The opening sequence of Final Destination: Bloodlines is a masterclass in suspense, setting the tone for the rest of the film. In 1968, the Skyview’s high-rise restaurant tower becomes a death trap, unfolding a heart-stopping disaster sequence that’s both creative and intense. Iris Campbell’s premonition of the chandelier shard cracking the glass floor, followed by a devastating gas leak explosion, is executed perfectly. With some truly memorable individual kills, this lengthy opening scene is a franchise standout. Also, high-rise restaurants seem to be an unlucky location for horror films this year!
2/ Creative Death Sequences
Beyond the film’s amped up intro, Final Destination: Bloodlines delivers a string of brilliantly choreographed death scenes that showcase the franchise’s signature blend of macabre creativity and gore. From a gruesome lawn mower accident to an MRI machine malfunction and a garbage truck incident, the film’s set pieces are some of the most inventive and memorable in the series. While staying true to the franchise’s formula, Bloodlines injects just enough novelty to keep things fresh, resulting in a series of CGI blood-soaked scenarios that feel both familiar and unexpectedly thrilling.
3/ Tony Todd’s Farewell
Final Destination: Bloodlines is dedicated to the late Tony Todd, who makes a poignant cameo as William John Bludworth in the film’s latter half. According to producer Craig Perry, Todd and the crew were aware this would likely be his final project, making the scene even more bittersweet. His return as the mysterious mortician is a fitting send-off, and his character is given an interesting backstory that adds depth to the narrative. The scene takes on an even greater significance with Todd’s ad-libbed final lines, a message to fans that feels like a personal goodbye: “I intend to enjoy the time I have left. And I suggest you do the same. Life is precious. Enjoy every single second. You never know when…Good luck.” It’s a memorable tribute to Tony Todd’s iconic horror legacy.
Cons:
1/ Character Development:
True to its title, Final Destination: Bloodlines explores family dynamics, a switch-up from previous entries. Despite this, the family relationships feel forced, with the cast lacking chemistry and failing to convey real emotional stakes. Even as their loved ones are dying one by one, they’re quickly back to cracking jokes, which makes it hard to become invested in their fate. The characters feel flat and one-dimensional, more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out people. Richard Harmon brings some much-needed personality to the film, but overall, the cast’s performances fail to elevate the material, resulting in a disconnect that dulls the impact of the film’s tragic events.
2/ Parody Writing
The writing in Final Destination: Bloodlines often veers into parody territory, with cringeworthy dialogue and far-fetched plot points. The tone is inconsistent, therefore, the stakes aren’t taken seriously. While the franchise once excelled at crafting suspenseful, grounded death sequences that felt plausible, Bloodlines’ deaths often feel overly engineered and predictable. One of the highlights of the Final Destination franchise was its ability to produce terrifying death scenes from eerily simple circumstances, like the log truck accident or tanning bed nightmare. These scenarios were frightening because they could happen to anyone and seemed feasible. The elaborate setups and contrived circumstances required to make the death sequences happen in Bloodlines drain the tension and make it feel like you’re watching a comedy rather than a genuine horror film. As a result, the usual sense of unease and unpredictability is absent, leaving the film feeling more goofy than tense.
3/ The Ending
The conclusion of Final Destination: Bloodlines leaves much to be desired, particularly when it spells out for the characters (and the audience) that they’d failed to cheat death – a twist that feels too simplistic and rushed. With the film’s themes of luck, life, death, and fate, the story seems surprisingly shallow. Despite the efforts of writers Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor, and Jon Watts to elevate the material, the narrative is often a step behind, particularly in the third act, which descends into a contrived sequence of events at Iris’ cabin, a setting that feels more like a death trap than a place of protection. And then there’s the penny that derails a train – you really need to check your brain at the door to buy into these moments.
In the end, Final Destination: Bloodlines is an action-packed ride with plenty of intense moments, solid pacing, and some fun surprises and homages along the way. What are your thoughts on Bloodlines?
