The Franchise that scarred a generation is back and better than ever!
Final Destination has always been one of those horror franchises that finds ways—time and time again—to stay relevant and reignite our deepest fears. From log trucks and airplanes to roller coasters, if you’re afraid of something, chances are a Final Destination film planted that seed. Now, after a 14-year hiatus, Bloodlines brings the franchise roaring back—with one of the best opening sequences since Final Destination 2, maybe even better. What follows is a bloody good time that keeps you locked in until the very end.
The film kicks off with Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger) and her fiancé Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) arriving at the grand opening of the Sky View Restaurant Tower. From the moment she steps out of the cab, something feels… off. As she wanders the building and ascends to the top, unease sets in. What starts as a dreamy date night quickly spirals into a nightmare. Then comes the moment—the premonition the franchise is famous for.
This time, it’s a penny. Small, insignificant, yet enough to trigger a catastrophic chain reaction that tears the tower apart, plunging it into the water below—and not before claiming plenty of victims. One poor soul gets crushed by a piano in a scene so outrageous it plays like a blood-soaked Looney Tunes gag. This moment erupted our theater into laughter and holy shits. Iris seems like our heroine, even managing to save a toddler (Jayden Oniah) who turns out to have a larger role in the story ahead and the franchise as a whole. But just as we think we know where this is going, the film flips the script—revealing that our real protagonist is Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who jolts awake screaming in class, as if she had lived through the disaster itself.
Stefani’s been plagued by recurring nightmares about her estranged grandmother. It’s clear that Death is back—and hungry for more. What follows is a mystery unraveling in the spirit of Final Destination 2, as Stefani begins piecing together the meaning behind her dreams, her grandmother’s strange past, and why Iris’s only daughter, Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt), abandoned Stefani and her brother Charlie (Teo Briones).
Back home, Stefani reunites with her father, Marty (Tinpo Lee), and begins digging deeper into the family’s twisted history. As she contacts more relatives, she uncovers a secret that reshapes everything: the day Iris saved those lives? That wasn’t supposed to happen. Every survivor from that day is somehow tied to beloved characters from previous films. And Death, as we know, doesn’t like loose ends.
Uncle Howard (Alex Zahara) refuses to speak about the past, while Stefani meets her surprisingly likable cousins—Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner)—along with the film’s unexpected MVP: Bobby’s pet turtle, Paco. Each family member brings something great to the table here but it’s Erik who is the standout here and the perfect comedic relief throughout. But Stefani’s theories about Grandma Iris (Gabrielle Rose) and a long-standing family curse are met with skepticism—and their denial may seal their fate.
From there, Bloodlines kicks into high gear with the kind of creative, gruesome deaths fans crave. This may be the funniest Final Destination entry yet, but it’s also the most brutal and unapologetically gory. One standout sequence in a hospital shows Death’s design at its most jaw-dropping. And yes, Tony Todd returns one final time reprising his role as William Bludworth offering a flawless send-off to a true horror icon. It’s a genuinely beautiful moment that may just leave you in tears.”
What makes Bloodlines work so well is that it gives us characters to care about—and it’s full of heart. It’s no easy feat to recapture the magic of the earlier films, especially more than a decade later, but this film pulls it off. It has everything longtime fans (like me) could want, and more than enough nightmare fuel to scar a whole new generation.
This franchise has always meant a lot to me—especially because it was the only horror series my dad would watch with me. I’m going back for round two this weekend—with him—and I can’t wait.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a bloody good time at the theater, plenty of carnage, and a lifetime of trauma, Final Destination: Bloodlines is a must-see.
4 Seths out of 5
