Film Review: Final Destination: Bloodlines

It’s been fourteen years since the last instalment in the Final Destination film series. A series which prides itself on a great central concept for each film. Someone has a premonition for a disaster that is about to take place and averts said disaster, but later finds that Death is still after them. You can see why this was originally an idea for an episode on The X-Files as the conceit allows for some interesting situations where a premonition could happen. We’ve had death by road traffic, a plane exploding and a rollercoaster de-railing as some previous examples. It was a shame to see the series come to a halt but it appeared that there is still some life after death. That brings us to a more modern version of the film, Final Destination: Bloodlines.

Final Destination: Bloodlines doesn’t require much knowledge of the previous films and due to the nature of the films being about a group of individuals dying in horrific ways then you can see why that makes complete sense. Each film has a unique set-up, followed by some horrific set pieces where a domino effect happens that causes a very painful death. This structure is prevalent in Bloodlines but it adds a bit more depth and mystery to it which works in the favour of the story.

The film starts with Iris, a young woman in the 1960s and she is the first person to witness a major death in a place called the Skyview. She saved a lot of lives that day but as a result Death had to come to all the saviours and their families as time progressed. In the present day Stef dreams of the Skyview incident every night, the same premonition that her Grandmother had but she doesn’t know it yet. The story sees her return to her family and find her Grandmother to uncover the secrets of Death. It is an engrossing story and each character has enough time to shine to the point where when the deaths start happening you genuinely feel bad for them. This is an achievement not a lot of other horror films can do.

Final Destination: Bloodlines ups the spectacle for each death. Each one is horrific, unique and unexpected. You may feel like you know what will happen but there is enough twists and turns to keep you on your feet. The film does not skip over on the gory elements either. This is very much a horror film and there is a lot of shock factors within the film to prove it. There are moments of comedy and some meta elements which do feel a little out of place at nights, but overall the film works rather well. You almost forget that this is a part of a larger franchise. The ending may be a little over the top but it definitely doesn’t hold back and that is why I think the film works as well as it does.

★★★★☆

4/5

Final Verdict:

This instalment in the Final Destination series is one of the best, and that is considering how impressive and different the first few films felt. Instead of borrowing ideas or attempting to recreate what has happened before, the film focuses on its own story while also providing a few nods and callbacks to previous films. The tension and lead-up to each death is filled with excitement and unpredictability, making it a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Bloodlines is a prime example of how to pull off a sixth film in a series by maintaining the legacy of its forbearers, as well as engaging new audiences alike.

Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions