by Jack Grimme, Contributing Writer
Recent decades have seen seemingly ceaseless rehashings of older horror franchises; the extent to which producers are willing to beat the proverbial dead horse is oftentimes more disturbing than the on-screen content. The original Final Destination was a victim of this to some extent. It offered an interesting premise, ultimately grounded in the cartoonishly graphic deaths of the characters. The absurd death traps that the protagonists find themselves in offer some grotesquely creative expression. But a series that is purely there to delight in the violent ends of its characters is bound to lack longterm narrative staying power. This is exactly what happened. Over five films, the gruesome kills grew more complicated, the franchise caught in the unsustainable effort of trying to one-up itself every single time. It seems the lack of depth eventually weighed on the property, because they opted to take almost 15 years to produce this newest release. The creative team has been touting Final Destination: Bloodlines as a soft reboot that is more concerned with itself than the larger implications for the world.
Fittingly, the newest entry in this decade-spanning franchise opts to explore the implications of evading death over multiple generations. The film opens with the classic deadly premonition sequence, following a young couple on a date to a fictitious version of the Space Needle, which immediately has the audience imagining what horrific imagery they are about to endure. For fans of the franchise, this scene delivers in a big way. A perfect blend of foreshadowing and red herrings creates a unique level of tension that this franchise partially pioneered. Things go about as badly as humanly possible, perhaps a little bit worse. The twist comes when the film reveals this isn’t an immediate premonition for forthcoming events. It’s actually a nightmare sequence from the progeny of the young couple. The recurring dream forces the descendant Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), the film’s primary protagonist, to dig deeper into her family’s past and the events that allowed her to exist. This new take on Death’s rules is a clever way to keep the story fresh and expand the property’s complicated, and admittedly conflicting, lore.
As expected, enjoyment will live or die (pun intended) on your ability to stomach the shocking violence at the heart of the horror. At this point, prospective viewers almost certainly know what they are getting into. The biggest variable is the creativity, originality, and visuals used to build out these set pieces. This addition to the franchise soars straight to the top in that regard. There has been plenty of conversation about the utility of CGI versus practical effects in horror. The general feeling seems to be that the more practical effects, the better the result. They’re also more likely to help a release hold up over time. Bloodlines serves as a glaring exception to the rule. Practical effects often help ground the visuals and build a more believable narrative. That is the last concern in the production of one of these releases. The VFX team is more focused on pushing the limits of the human body and testing the audience’s stomach. Highlights include the entire opening act and a few particularly harrowing uses of a lawn mower and a wood chipper.
As mentioned earlier, believability isn’t necessarily one of the aspirations of this franchise. There are plenty of moments where the audience is entirely expected to suspend their disbelief. But even for a movie like this, that can only go so far. And there are a few key elements that overly test the audience’s patience. Without spoiling the film, a few scenes revolve around one of the characters who has grown wise to Death’s antics. They have opted to seclude themselves from any danger in order to survive and prevent fate’s gaze from shifting to a new target. This is a familiar concept to the series that harkens back to protagonists from the earliest films. Unfortunately, the concept crumbles as soon as we see exactly where this character shacks up. It is perhaps the most absurdly dangerous environment a character with this mindset could intentionally opt for. It leads to a few deaths that are completely expected, almost undercutting the threat of the film. Because if Death fails to reach someone in that setting, they may need to rethink their career path.
That is almost certainly the biggest hangup for this film. Odds are, you already know whether or not you will vibe with Final Destination: Bloodlines. It fails to reinvent the wheel, but the target audience very clearly is not expecting it to do that. Sometimes a series has a strict formula, only allowing for two real questions: How does it compare to the predecessors? And how much more of this are you willing to watch? Those who have been itching for an entry in the series following the 2011 release will be met with a standout success. And those who are appalled by the premise should not expect a subversive critique of the predecessors.
There is one final thing that will resonate with almost anyone on both sides of the aisle: Horror icon Tony Todd posthumously graces the screen for the final time. His character in the franchise has been a looming thread of mystery that has enticed viewers for years. And the actor has gone on record many times stating his love and appreciation for the franchise. It is reported that, at the time of filming, Todd was aware of his terminal diagnosis. Due to this, and the prescient theming of the film, the actor was tasked with writing many of his final lines. His monologue is poignant and meaningful, honestly feeling like a direct statement to the fans that helped make his career so special. The scene alone justifies the price of admission, and makes it feel like this should be the send-off to the series. Obviously, writers could construct twisted fates and produce them on the big screen for years to come. However, further additions to the series without Todd will certainly feel incomplete, despite the fact that he played a relatively minor role.
Final Destination: Bloodlines checks all the boxes, answers a few series-spanning questions, and says goodbye to a juggernaut of the genre in a meaningful way. Hopefully, barring any true innovations in the formula, they finally let this franchise rest on a high note.
Rating: Liked It
Final Destination: Bloodlinesis currently playing in theaters
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