Final Destination Bloodlines somehow completes an impressive trifecta of cinematic pleasures: 1. a full-bodied wince; 2. a gut-busting laugh; and 3. a genuine emotional stir. There’s not much else to ask for in a movie, let alone from the sixth entry in a formula-forged and long-dormant franchise.
The emotional stir, in particular, was the most unexpected sensation to come from the paragon of “sleepover horror”, notorious for disrobement and dismemberment. I wouldn’t necessarily say tenderness was something that I wanted, but it was a welcome feeling, and it represents the film’s superb grasp of meta-cleverness. It knows exactly what it is, when it is, how it is, etc.
Overall, it’s a very well-rounded production. Per the demands of the franchise, suspense is expertly mined from a myriad of relatable phobias, and the kills are all satisfyingly gruesome. It excels at my previously-mentioned “mechanical horror screenwriting” point, but it also delivers a surprising depth of traditional drama. Additionally, the acting is never poor, and I was caught off guard by a couple of big laughs.
However, it does forfeit some trashiness (that I quite like, in the spirit of ‘80s slashers) to achieve that A-level pristine. And despite those higher aspirations for the majority of the runtime, the finale downshifts in quality to something a bit goofier, a bit more slapdash and inelegant, and that’s ultimately a bit disappointing.
The overt CGI continues to be a baffling hallmark of the franchise. I’d complain about its use here, but I’d have to lob the same critique at every entry. Given our current renaissance of practical effects in horror, I couldn’t help but wonder what a wholly practical Final Destination film would look like, and how the tone would be altered. The CGI artifice creates just enough distance to allow for a fairly wide audience to have fun, at the expense of the sickos like me.
Speaking of trends, one of the cooler trends of contemporary film culture is how late, LATE franchise entries can be some of their best. Saw X. Mission: Impossible - Fallout. It does make for some silly, out-of-body experiences when you realize how absurd you sound trying to hype them up. “The ninth Saw is terrible, but the tenth Saw is when they really figured it out.” However, every one of these late-franchise successes gives hope to every new one coming down the pipe, thus it was pretty exciting to be stoked for a new Final Destination film in 2025.
In these uncertain times, franchise films offer comfortable, largely predictable escapism away from the stresses of daily life. For me, it’s doubly comfortable with the Final Destination franchise, which whirls me back to the glossy heaven of early 2000s aesthetics. Back when emos were everywhere! Back when we were a country!
Final Destination Bloodlines somehow completes an impressive trifecta of cinematic pleasures: 1. a full-bodied wince; 2. a gut-busting laugh; and 3. a genuine emotional stir. There’s not much else to ask for in a movie, let alone from the sixth entry in a formula-forged and long-dormant franchise.
The emotional stir, in particular, was the most unexpected sensation to come from the paragon of “sleepover horror”, notorious for disrobement and dismemberment. I wouldn’t necessarily say tenderness was something that I wanted, but it was a welcome feeling, and it represents the film’s superb grasp of meta-cleverness. It knows exactly what it is, when it is, how it is, etc.
Overall, it’s a very well-rounded production. Per the demands of the franchise, suspense is expertly mined from a myriad of relatable phobias, and the kills are all satisfyingly gruesome. It excels at my previously-mentioned “mechanical horror screenwriting” point, but it also delivers a surprising depth of traditional drama. Additionally, the acting is never poor, and I was caught off guard by a couple of big laughs.
However, it does forfeit some trashiness (that I quite like, in the spirit of ‘80s slashers) to achieve that A-level pristine. And despite those higher aspirations for the majority of the runtime, the finale downshifts in quality to something a bit goofier, a bit more slapdash and inelegant, and that’s ultimately a bit disappointing.
The overt CGI continues to be a baffling hallmark of the franchise. I’d complain about its use here, but I’d have to lob the same critique at every entry. Given our current renaissance of practical effects in horror, I couldn’t help but wonder what a wholly practical Final Destination film would look like, and how the tone would be altered. The CGI artifice creates just enough distance to allow for a fairly wide audience to have fun, at the expense of the sickos like me.
Speaking of trends, one of the cooler trends of contemporary film culture is how late, LATE franchise entries can be some of their best. Saw X. Mission: Impossible - Fallout. It does make for some silly, out-of-body experiences when you realize how absurd you sound trying to hype them up. “The ninth Saw is terrible, but the tenth Saw is when they really figured it out.” However, every one of these late-franchise successes gives hope to every new one coming down the pipe, thus it was pretty exciting to be stoked for a new Final Destination film in 2025.
In these uncertain times, franchise films offer comfortable, largely predictable escapism away from the stresses of daily life. For me, it’s doubly comfortable with the Final Destination franchise, which whirls me back to the glossy heaven of early 2000s aesthetics. Back when emos were everywhere! Back when we were a country!
1
