The Grim Reaper returns in Final Destination: Bloodlines, the sixth installment of the well-known horror franchise where fate intervenes, accidents loom, and the innocent fall victim to terrifying deaths. After a 14-year hiatus, this latest chapter doesn’t seek to reinvent the series but rather sticks closely to its established formula: elaborate and gruesome deaths originating from seemingly harmless everyday situations.
There’s an undeniable allure to the chaos and carnage that the Final Destination movies deliver. The film opens with a flashback set in the 1950s, where a pregnant Iris (Brec Bassinger) visits a restaurant atop a towering skyscraper. It’s no surprise when the building collapses, killing many. However, this disaster is more than just a past event; it’s a recurring nightmare for Iris’ granddaughter, Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana).
Plagued by this vivid dream, Stefani sets out to find her estranged grandmother, Iris, who now lives secluded in a fortified rural compound. Iris has become a survivalist, adhering strictly to a manual she wrote herself to evade death’s grasp. She warns, “Death doesn’t like it when you f*** with his plans,” and indeed, Death is relentless, targeting her family one by one.
Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, who previously worked on Freaks (2018), Final Destination: Bloodlines plunges headfirst into the familiar pattern of a slow but inevitable series of deadly accidents. Stefani’s extended family is systematically hunted by fate, with each death more inventive and grotesque than the last.
Whether viewers enjoy the film largely depends on their taste for gore and creativity in death scenes. The movie’s production team includes Jon Watts, known for directing the recent Spider-Man films, which perhaps explains some of the clever twists and misdirections. Not all accidents lead to gruesome ends, but many do, involving everyday objects like lawnmowers, leaf blowers, vending machines, MRI scanners, and even refuse trucks.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana carries the film with a sincere performance that grounds the otherwise outlandish and excessive destruction. The movie leans heavily on spectacle rather than depth, delivering an over-the-top spree of death scenes.
The recurring message, “Life is precious… enjoy every single second,” sums up the film’s philosophical take — simple yet fitting for a Final Destination installment, where death is always just around the corner.
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