Final Destination Bloodlines

death's back, and this time it brought legacy lore

Final Destination is back after 12 years, and while a lot has changed, some things stay the same, like the classic death scenes that made the franchise famous. The film introduces creative new ways to off its characters (of course), and thanks to the leaps in CGI and visual effects over the years, they really went all out with it this time. It’s gory, chaotic, occasionally camp, and to my surprise, layered in ways I didn’t expect.

As with every Final Destination movie, we kick things off with a big premonition scene, and this one is actually really well done. The setting? A 1950s skybar opening, except the whole structure looks more like a theme park drop tower someone forgot to safety test. The elevator doors barely close, and one woman proudly mentions the project was finished just five months ago (not the flex she thinks it is).You just know it’s going to go horribly wrong.

The tension builds in classic Final Destination fashion: baiting us with obvious death cues and then holding out just long enough to catch us off guard. And just when it all goes to hell, we cut to a college student named Stephanie waking up in class. I genuinely went, “Wait, who is this now?”

Turns out Stephanie is Iris’s granddaughter, and she’s been having the same premonitions her grandmother once did. This shift in perspective felt fresh. Stephanie starts digging into her family's past, trying to get her uncle’s help, but no one wants to talk about Iris; she’s basically become a cursed family secret. Eventually, Stephanie finds her, and we learn that Iris has been running from Death for decades.

This movie dares to dig deeper than random chance. There’s an actual logic to the curse this time. It connects to past Final Destination films through Iris’s survival decades ago, which supposedly triggered a domino effect. Survivors went on to build families, unknowingly dooming their descendants to Death’s vengeance. It's the first time the franchise suggests that cheating Death actually has long-term consequences. It has created a ripple effect that tumbled down through generations.

The lore expansion doesn’t feel forced either, something beyond, “Oops, I got off the plane and now I’m doomed.” It’s a cool way to tie everything together and gives a little more purpose to the chaos.

Stephanie, at first, doesn’t believe Iris when she reveals as such. But Iris ultimately sacrifices herself to prove the curse is real, and in doing so, she triggers the chain reaction that puts the rest of the family (starting with Stephanie’s cousins) in danger.

Let’s not pretend this movie is reinventing horror. It’s not trying to win awards. It's here to entertain. It’s more of a gory, splatter-fest fun ride with a hint of dark comedy. I saw it in a packed cinema with a friend, and everyone was laughing and reacting like they knew exactly what they’d signed up for. The deaths are inventive, the CGI is slick (maybe a little too slick at times), and the film has fun misleading you. I thought I had a few scenes figured out based on the teaser, only to be completely wrong in the best way.

Entering spoilers territory here.

One standout sequence involves Eric, played by The 100’s Richard Harmon. He has one of the most suspenseful near-death scenes in a tattoo parlour that literally goes up in flames. But plot twist: he doesn’t die ( yet ). In post-watch analysis I should have spotted that because they did not actually show him dying and, if there is one thing Final Destination is know for, is showing exactly the last breath of every character, even in their most gory deaths. 

Turns out Eric’s not part of the bloodline at all ( he is a product of an affair ) and that’s why Death skips him… briefly. His eventual demise (hello, rogue MRI machine + full-body piercings) is grim, hilarious, and totally absurd. I have no idea how MRIs works, but it was magnetic horror at its finest.

Tony Todd makes a final, welcome return to the series too, which was a nostalgic highlight.

His presence alone brings a kind of gravitas to the chaos — like Death’s unofficial spokesperson, cool as ever and still speaking in riddles. It’s a nice full-circle moment for longtime fans, and the way he’s woven into the new lore feels earned, not forced.

I nearly rolled my eyes when Stephanie seemingly cheats Death with a quick drown-and-resuscitate scene. I thought that was it. And if it had been, I’d have walked out mildly underwhelmed. But then we get the train scene. A classic Final Destination twist: no one escapes, not really. The movie closes with a brutal train sequence instead, which felt like a proper Final Destination finale. It resets the board and leaves the door open for future sequels without being tied down by the current cast.

Overall, this was a fun return to form. It’s not groundbreaking cinema, but it is a big step up from some of the franchise’s weaker entries. It was enjoyable, a little smarter than expected, and delivered everything I wanted from a Final Destination film, plus a few surprises.

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