Final Destination Bloodlines review: Provides exactly what long-time fans of this franchise wanted
Thanos is undoubtedly the most infamous and iconic villain of the twenty-first century, and his phrase - "Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same" - is easily the most renowned dialogue from all of the MCU films released till now. And this dialogue perfectly describes the 'Final Destination' horror franchise.
This franchise contains numerous cruel, filthy death scenes, including the most famous log truck sequence, a scene where a large windowpane falls on a victim, essentially crushing him, and a scene in which a skull is cut by a truck's engine. After a 14-year wait, fans of this horror film franchise can finally see "Final Destination: Bloodlines" in theatres on May 16 (Final Destination 5 came out in 2011). In all five previous films, some people survived some accident or calamity in which they were supposed to die, which offends "Death".
And this is exactly what we see in Final Destination: Bloodlines. The plot of each Final Destination film is around a person who, after a near miss due to a premonition, understands that avoiding death is merely a temporary fix. Furthermore, it is returned in ways that are more gruesome and graphic than death. However, unlike the other five films in the genre, the initial premonition in this new film does not originate from our main character Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana).
The film takes us back to 1968, when Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger) and her fiancé Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) visit the Skyview Restaurant tower's inauguration ceremony. And she immediately has a premonition that the Skyview Restaurant will collapse, killing everyone. In the present, Stefani Reyes, a college student suffering from a violent and recurring nightmare, returns home to find the one person who can resolve her nightmare, end the cycle of death, and save her family from the gory death that will unavoidably befall them all, as "Death" is once again attempting to reclaim what is rightfully his and will not stop until he finishes his job.
In the previous five films in this horror franchise, the person with a premonition tries to save some strangers or friends from their inevitable death, but in 'Final Destination Bloodlines', Stefani must find a way to break the cycle and save her family members from their inevitable death, which helps to make scenes more eerie and intimate. Unlike earlier flicks, Death's attempt to extinguish a family's bloodline by killing everyone raises the stakes significantly.
Another thing I liked about the sixth film in this horror franchise was that, rather than focussing just on gruesome deaths, the most of the first half is spent revealing the past and why Death is hunting this family. The directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, as well as screenwriters Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor, and Jon Watts, excel in gradually tightening the screws with each new revelation about the past and why Death is after this family.
We all know that gruosome death sequences were the most anticipated part of this movie. As promised, there are several horrific, gruesome death scenes. And, as expected, all death sequences are over-the-top, but directors have managed to strike the correct balance by creating death scenes that are inventive, violent, and even humorous. In fact, as with previous films, I enjoyed how this film incorporates dark humour even during inevitable deaths in ridiculous, circumstantial ways. The film raises a tension by dragging the audience in several directions and suddenly startling us with a twist.
The film does not place high expectations on the actors, but Kaitlyn Santa Juana and the rest of the supporting cast do an adequate job in their roles. Basically, 'Final Destination Bloodlines' provides exactly what long-time fans of this franchise expected from the film.
Cast: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger, Tony Todd
Writers: Jon Watts, Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor
Directors: Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein
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