A Great Place to Start- FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES
by Yasin Lago
The Final Destination series has been a consistent success for many years now. Started back in 2000, the first movie established a new and yet very old horror genre antagonist: namely Death itself. Never actually seeing the culprit, our protagonists are stalked and slaughtered one by one after having survived some catastrophic event that should have killed them all in the first place. Now, based on a story by Jon Watts (MCU Spider-Man), a resurgence of the film franchise is here with Final Destination: Bloodlines.
Our story begins in 1968, where a new towering skyscraper is having its opening day with a celebration at the top. The couple we follow, looking to propose marriage, has their visit interrupted by disaster. Or does it. Because the one proposed to, played by Brec Bassinger, foresees everything and decides to change what’s to come. That diversion from destruction leads to years of hiding from both Death and her own family to save them. Until her granddaughter dreams of the entire experience the way it was supposed to happen, setting in motion the circumstances for the Grim Reaper to come collect all her family members.
The first 10–15 minutes of this film are a perfect setup, provided by Bassinger’s wonderful performance. Meanwhile, lead actress Kaitlyn Santa Juana who plays the nightmare-stricken, anxiety-ridden granddaughter with just the right tone of excitement and horror. She keeps our interest whether trying to reconcile with her estranged relatives or dodging being offed by the invisible assailant. Also worth mentioning, this is the final performance of popular actor and genre favorite Tony Todd, returning as his recurring character, Bludworth, whose background is explored here, but no spoilers are necessary. It’s a nice goodbye from Todd and his character, as he establishes the link between all the films in the series.
The key to making Final Destination movies is working the formula successfully. Each time, writers Guy Busick ( Scream 7, Abigail) & Lori Evans Taylor ( Cellar Door) have to work to reinvent the mousetrap, the method with which Death collects victims. They manage to do it in abundance, keeping the tension in every scene as the audience is perched on the edge of their seats, coming up with some imaginative ways to kill the characters. Credit must go to directors Nick Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein for making a great theatrical thrillride. The pacing and effects are top notch.Is this movie for everyone? For fans of Final Destination, you will be pleased as this one may be one of the best of the series. For horror fans who may have never seen any of the films, yes, go see this. Bloodlines is actually a great starting point for people not acquainted with the brand. You can always go back after this one to catch up with death.
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Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on May 16, 2025.
