Final Destination Bloodlines

by Mike McGranaghan

Final Destination Bloodlines is almost a double feature. The extended opening scene, set in the late 1960s, tells its own tale of a young woman whose fear of heights proves justified during a visit to a fancy restaurant built atop a giant tower. It’s tense and exciting, with an absolutely perfect payoff for the character of a snotty boy whose rebellious act ignites calamity.

Then the film jumps forward to present day to begin the formal plot. College student Stefani Reyes (The Friendship Game’s Kaitlyn Santa Juana) discovers that her grandmother’s premonition once prevented a lot of people from dying in a freak accident. Now the cheated Death is coming after the family, specifically her, brother Charlie (Teo Briones), and cousins Julia (Anna Lore), Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner), and Erik (Richard Harmon). The late, great Tony Todd has a small supporting role as a mystery man who might know how to break the curse, assuming it can be broken.

The first Final Destination was creepy and disturbing. The sequels had their moments yet were mediocre overall. Bloodlines is easily the best since that 2000 original. As always, Death strikes via a chain of events that begin innocuously and gradually become catastrophic. Having an unseen killer has always been the franchise’s signature, and the elaborate nature of the kills here is impressive. Ordinary objects like vending machines, garbage trucks, and even pennies become things to fear. At times, the film pulls the rug out from under you, claiming a victim when you’re expecting somebody different to go.

Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein don’t hold back on the gore. Human bodies are sliced, diced, severed, crushed, burned, chopped, and otherwise dismantled. If you’re not already terrified of an MRI machine, you will be after seeing what it does to one poor sap. The picture absolutely delivers on the horror count. Less expected, but equally satisfying, is how funny it can be. There’s a morbid sense of humor at play here, thanks to how wild and weird several of the deaths are. Sure, the laughter is uncomfortable; it's still laughter, though.

Characterization, of course, is secondary to the slayings. The young actors manage to bring personality to their roles nonetheless. Richard Harmon is a particular standout, infusing Erik with a hilarious sense of sarcasm. Kaitlyn Santa Juana is good too, strongly conveying Stefani’s desire to save her family from obliteration. She adds the necessary human element to keep us paying attention in between death sequences.

Final Destination Bloodlines is gross, gory, and grotesque, just as any good R-rated horror movie should be. Yes, there are moments that come off silly or contrived. That doesn’t matter when Death’s attacks are so cleverly, wickedly conceived. It may be 25 years old, but this entry suggests the franchise (ironically) has life left in it.

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