Final Destination Bloodlines

Back in 2000, a potential story for an episode of The X-Files was changed into a feature script and became the film Final Destination. That movie was a hit and became a franchise, spawning four sequels until the series paused in 2011. Fourteen years later and the death-defying series is back with Final Destination Bloodlines, which I’m pleased to report is one of the strongest and most entertaining entries yet. The set-piece death scenes are spectacular, the fake-outs work and create real suspense, the twists are surprising, and the film looks terrific. The audience I saw it with loved it, cheering and clapping and crying out in amused horror, and I agree with them – this Destination is worth the bloody trip.

Fifty years ago, young Iris (Brec Bassinger) had a premonition of a disaster at the Skyview Restaurant Tower, and her warnings prevented the deaths of many people, including herself and her then fiancé. In the present day, Iris’ granddaughter, Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), is disturbed by vivid nightmares of the disaster her grandmother averted, and she goes to find old Iris (Gabrielle Rose) in her isolated and “death-proofed” cabin. Iris, who hasn’t left the cabin for twenty years, believes that Death was angered when she saved all the possible victims at the Skyview and is gradually killing all the survivors and their descendants, from oldest to youngest. Stefani initially doesn’t believe her, but Iris gives her a book with all her proof and theories. Shortly thereafter, Stefani realizes that Iris is correct and that she needs to try and save not only her family but also herself from certain, gruesome death.

Santa Juana is appropriately stressed and determined as attempted family savior Stefani, her actions tempered by existential terror. Bassinger is memorably good at playing young Iris in both her modes: happy young woman on a romantic date and the heroine who saves countless people at the Tower. Rose exudes weary wariness as Old Iris, and Rya Kihlstedt brings a similar haunted vibe as Stefani’s mother, Darlene. Richard Harmon stands out with a snarky and very funny performance as Stefani’s tattoo artist cousin, Erik. Finally, Tony Todd (who has appeared in four of the six Destination films) returns as fan-favorite character Bludworth, this time finally getting some backstory for his recurring role. Todd recently passed away after an amazing career in the movies, and the audience I saw this film with applauded at the end of his scene as a fitting tribute to this talented and beloved actor.  

Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein do an assured and impressive job, seeming to have a great deal of fun in delivering the series’ trademark elaborate, teasing death sequences (one scene in a hospital is especially gnarly). The opening set piece in the Skyview Tower is very impressive, so well done it approaches the greatness of the “log truck on the freeway” sequence in Final Destination 2. Christian Sebaldt’s cinematography is sharp and beautiful in a grim way, like a stained-glass knife. Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor’s script excels in ratcheting up suspense and creating Rube Goldberg-esque demises, and their decision to have the group of people in peril in this film to all belong to one family seems to heighten the stakes and make the characters more believably real.

Final Destination Bloodlines revitalizes this classic series with a fresh infusion of blood and energy. It’s skillfully made, but mainly it’s a blast of gory fun for horror fans worldwide.