Horror lovers rejoice! It’s a spectacular time to be a fan of chills and terror at the start of this summer season as cinemas prepare for the wonderful return of the Final Destination franchise with its thrilling new installment, Final Destination: Bloodlines, due to make a killing at the box office on May 16th. With more gore, destruction, and even more of the series’ finest freak accidents, this sixth entry will prove there’s still life in this spectacularly bloody franchise.
What initially started as a unique premise for an X-Files episode slowly but surely turned into one of cinema’s most beloved horror film series. The Final Destination movies are simply thrilling. There’s no doubt about that. They may be a bit flawed and not all perfect, and everyone has their issues with the silliness these movies bring, but they’re fascinating films that, honestly, are a lot more brilliant than a lot of people give them credit for. From the creativity of the traps to how this series taps into everyone’s biggest fear, here are ten reasons why the Final Destination franchise is a lot better than you think.
10
Death’s “Freak Accidents”
You Have To Give Them Credit For Creativity
Let’s start by talking about one of the franchise’s most defining parts: the “freak accidents.” Fans of the Final Destination films know the creative ways the embodiment of Death reclaims his victims are what really make this worth multiple rewatches. They’re shockingly gory and unique. Sometimes unexpected, other times slowly built up, these so-called “accidents” are unforgettable and even quite terrifying.
While, admittedly, one has to recognize the implausibility and ridiculousness of these kills, there’s no denying how memorable and creative they are. Sure, the deaths can be quite silly, like Hunt’s (Nick Zano) embarrassing pool filter demise in The Final Destination. Yet, they’re perfectly set up, thanks to clever writing and suspense, and sometimes darkly comedic. It’s the accidental deaths that make Final Destination what it is. Without them, the series would never have been so unique.
Final Destination 2
- Release Date
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January 31, 2003
- Runtime
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90 Minutes
- Writers
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Jeffrey Reddick, J. Mackye Gruber, Eric Bress
9
The Foreshadowing
The Signs Are All Around Us
It might not seem that way upon first viewing, but the Final Destination movies use a great deal of foreshadowing throughout their plots. The writing in this franchise, in general, deserves more credit, as there are plenty of moments that perfectly set up upcoming events and deaths.
Foreshadowing is used multiple times throughout the franchise. It’s mostly used to clue the audience in on what tragic fate inevitably awaits these characters. The first film, Final Destination, arguably has the most haunting use of foreshadowing, most noticeably in the first act as the characters stand by and say and do things that allude to their future demises, like Tod (Chad Donella) gesturing a noose around his neck or Terry (Amanda Detmer) watching flight 180 getting blown up with a large painting featuring a bus in the background, hinting her shocking demise later. It’s the small bits of foreshadowing that elevate the Final Destination series’ creep factor, and they help show that the writing is a lot more clever than initially perceived.
8
The Underrated Performances
The Acting Is Better Than You Think
The Final Destination films aren’t particularly well-known for having stand-out performances, as the kills and premonitions often get remembered more than the acting. While not every performance is great, it’s important to note that there are some truly remarkable ones from some truly talented performers.
Though the series is criticized for having poorly written, often one-dimensional characters, some of the performances have stood out and made the characters they played truly spectacular. Actors like Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Nicholas D’Agosto, just to name a few, gave exceptional performances that really enhanced the dramatic moments of these movies. Are these award-worthy? Probably not. But they are definitely captivating and deserve more attention than they’ve previously got.
7
The Unrelenting Terror
Death Is Everywhere
The Final Destination franchise constantly has audiences afraid. As the whole point of the series is the fact that death is everyone and can strike at any moment, there’s a lingering sense of doom throughout these movies that never lets up, and it’s truly terrifying.
What sets the Final Destination movies apart from other horror franchises is just how unrelentingly frightening they are. Other franchises have moments of rest and levity, and this is an, at times, darkly comedic franchise with moments of humor. But it’s mostly a dark, foreboding series that never lets up in intensity. From start to finish, each installment is anxiety-inducing and never makes the audience feel safe.
6
It Makes Ordinary Items Dangerous
Everything’s Trying To Kill Them
No place or situation is safe to be in if anyone is unfortunate enough to find themselves in a Final Destination movie. Nothing is off limits, and anything and everything can be used as a gruesome instrument in Death’s sadistic designs to bring his victims to their graves.
Seriously, these movies can make anything we see in our ordinary lives terrifying. Ladders, tanning beds, clotheslines, stove-top ovens, and even vending machines can leave anyone anxious after watching these films. The fear this idea adds to the mundane parts of our days is what really makes the Final Destination so compelling and memorable.
Final Destination Bloodlines
- Release Date
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May 16, 2025
- Runtime
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109 Minutes
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Kaitlyn Santa Juana
Stephanie Lewis
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Teo Briones
Charlie Lewis
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Owen Patrick Joyner
Bobby
5
The Suspense
It’ll Have You Constantly on the Edge of Your Seat
We mentioned before how the Final Destination movies are consistently terrifying. Well, that’s also mostly because of their brilliant use of suspense. Like any great horror movie, suspense is used to build up terror and keep the audience guessing what’s going to happen at any given point in the story. The Final Destination movies are just full of moments that keep us waiting until the final moment when something horrible happens.
Death surrounds everyone in this franchise. It’s only a matter of time before that happens. Suspense greatly enhances how terrifying this concept is, as there are plenty of moments where it builds and builds until it reaches a boiling point, then a graphic accident occurs. Suspense is vital to the Final Destination franchise’s success. It certainly would have been much less terrifying without it.
4
The Premonitions
Undeniably Some of the Best Moments of the Series
Aside from the graphic kills, which are definitely a highlight of these movies, a major reason the Final Destination franchise continues to be so memorable today is because of its iconic premonition disaster scenes. These moments are undoubtedly some of the best parts of the franchise. They’re visually stunning, perfectly set up, and so incredibly graphic.
These premonitions tap into some of the greatest, most common fears most of us have, like the idea of being in a plane crash, getting caught in a huge car pile-up, riding on a fast roller coaster, and driving on a tall, rickety bridge. They’re terrifying, never watching to watch, but are oh so incredible to see. The premonitions have become a staple of the Final Destination series. It wouldn’t be the same or as popular without them.
3
It Gave Horror Its Most Unstoppable Villain
Death Is One of the Best Horror Villains, Period!
It’s time to talk about the sinister big bad of the franchise and why it’s such a compelling horror antagonist. The embodiment of Death, also referred to as The Grim Reaper, is described as a formidable force of nature. This all-powerful entity picks and chooses who lives and dies at every moment, never once letting anyone side after they have escaped from their intended demise.
How can someone beat Death itself? It’s not like some giant monster, alien, or even a killer in a mask; there’s no escape from it. Many characters in the franchise have managed to avoid Death, only for them to come back to restore the natural balance of things. All have fallen to this foe; all except Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook) and Thomas Burke (Michael Landes) from Final Destination 2, although their fates are left to debate if you count an alternate scene from Final Destination 3 as canon. Overall, Death is ultimately one of the most fascinating and relentless villains in all of horror history.
2
The World-Buidling
The World In Final Destination Is Truly Fascinating
The key to any compelling franchise is creating a believable world with a history and rules the characters follow. There needs to be enough detail within the world of the story to really make it stand out. Thankfully, the Final Destination franchise has decent world-building that’s enough to get the audience interested in the stories they tell.
While not the most complex or detailed world-building, the Final Destination movies have an understandable and interesting lore, enough to keep people’s attention without overcomplicating things. From the mysterious idea of premonitions and omens, to how Death functions and creates its elaborate designs, there are a lot of fascinating elements here to get invested in. Fans can only hope the filmmakers will continue to go deeper into explaining the lore with the arrival of the next installment, Bloodlines.
1
It Taps Into Our Deepest Fear
This Franchise Hits Us Right Where It Scares Us the Most
We’ve discussed the kills, the underrated performances, the premonitions, and even the world-building, but at the end of the day, the main reason why the Final Destination movies are so much better than they get credit for is that they explore some of our deepest, darkest fears. Unlike so many horror franchises, these movies scare viewers with the ultimate fear, one that everyone has: the fear of death.
This franchise is so much more than just goofy, gory, over-the-top death scenes and bloody spectacles; it faces audiences with the chilling thought of their own mortality and how inescapable it is. As mentioned in the previous entry, Death is a terrifying villain to have in these films; it’s unavoidable, inevitable, and wins every time, and that’s what makes this such a monumentally terrifying series to watch. To conclude, there’s more than meets the eye with the Final Destination franchise. It’s deep and chilling, and, above all, keeps us coming back for more.