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Film Review
Review: ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ is a Blast-from-the-Past Sequel that Reinvigorates the Franchise with New Blood and Buckets of Gore
May 13, 2025Ben MK
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Usually, horror movies about a group of people being stalked by a mysterious killer involve the antagonist being some kind of homicidal maniac or, on occasion, a supernatural entity with a physical presence. But while the idea of the killer being something as immaterial as death itself might seem like a tough concept to pull off, that's exactly what the Final Destination franchise has managed to do over the course of the last 25 years. From the first Final Destination in 2000 to Final Destination 5 in 2011, moviegoers haven't been able to turn away from the terrifying suspense and gruesome death scenes that have come to define the series. And with Final Destination Bloodlines, the fan-favorite franchise is back, in this sixth installment that — once again — brings the story full-circle. The time is the present day, and after enduring two months of vivid recurring dreams about her young grandma Iris (Brec Bassinger) and hundreds others dying spectacularly on the opening night of a towering restaurant called the Skyview, college student Stephani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) is convinced that there's something more to her disturbing visions. Returning home to visit her family, Stephani endeavors to find out more about her long lost grandmother, whom her estranged mother, Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt), and uncle, Howard (Alex Zahara), have always kept at a distance. However, when she finally meets a grizzled Iris (Gabrielle Rose) at her grandma's isolated cabin in the woods, Stephani quickly begins to regret her decision. After learning that Iris has been holed up in that cabin for the last half-century — having avoided death the first time around and trying to prevent it from coming back to get her — Stephani's initial reaction is one of disbelief. But when Iris is savagely killed before her eyes, Stephani is left with no other recourse other than to take over her grandmother's mission of trying to protect the other members in their family bloodline from becoming death's next victims. Equipped ony with Iris' book of meticulously written notes outlining in intricate detail every possible way that death can come for them, Stephani attempts to convince her incredulous brother, Charlie (Teo Briones), and cousins, Julia (Anna Lore), Erik (Richard Harmon) and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner), of the imminent danger they're all in. Unfortunately, it's only after a couple more of them have met an especially gruesome and bloody demise that they start to heed her warning and take her seriously. Will Stephani be able to outsmart death at its own game, learning a few new tricks along the way, and saving the rest of her kin from meeting the same brutally violent ends as everyone else who was there at the Skyview on that fateful night? Or will the grim reaper ultimately win this battle of willpower and wits, closing off this long-standing chapter of loose ends and finally claiming the lives of all the surviving members of this family tree, including Stephani herself? Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein and written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, the result is everything Final Destination fans have come to know and love about the series and more. And although the vast majority of horror franchises would have normally deteriorated to the point of parody five sequels in, Bloodlines manages to still keep its premise feeling fresh, serving up a non-stop array of inventive and shockingly grisly death scenes, adding new rules to this cat-and-mouse game of survival, and keeping viewers on the edge of their seats as they anticipate who will be the next character up on the proverbial chopping block. Toss in a cameo from franchise regular Tony Todd, who passed away in November 2024, and you have a successful sequel that delivers the perfect balance of old-school homage and modern-day reimagining. Suffice to say, longtime fans of the series will find plenty to love about this latest entry. And even though Bloodlines doesn't necessarily leave the door open for more follow-ups — as most horror sequels are wont to do — it makes it abundantly clear that there's still an appetite for more Final Destination films in the future. Final Destination Bloodlines releases May 16th, 2025 from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of R for strong violent/grisly accidents, and language. Its runtime is 1 hr. 50 min. |
