Can you believe that it’s been 14 long years since the last Final Destination film? Yes, death has been held at bay for that long. Well, now death is back and coming with it is one of the better Final Destination films in the series. Final Destination: Bloodlines kicks off with a bang. It has one of the biggest and most insane opening sequences in the series, with a massive set piece set on what amounts to the Sky Needle. Iris (played by Brec Bassinger) sees a premonition that the entire skybound restaurant and dance club is going to crumble. The sequence is horrifying and you can’t really help but uncomfortably laugh during it because some of the kills are so cartoonish in nature.
This brings us to the star of Final Destination: Bloodlines in Stefani (played by Kaitlyn Santa Juana). She sees the same premonition every night, like her grandmother, Iris, did. It’s affecting her schoolwork, her relationships, and she figures she has to do something to stop it. This returns her to her family, which is a bit estranged to say the least. Her brother Charlie (played by Teo Briones) and her cousins Erik (played by Richard Harmon), Julia (played by Anna Lore), and Bobby (played by Owen Patrick Joyner) all get together with Stefani. Her grandma Iris (played older by Gabrielle Rose) is a pariah among her family. She drove Stefani’s mother, Darlene (played by Rya Kihlstedt), away because she was obsessed with running away from death.
This is a Final Destination movie after all, and Iris pissed off Death by saving the people from what should have been a tragic accident. That led to multiple generations of people who weren’t supposed to be here, including Stefani and her family. So that means they have to get together and figure out how to cheat death once again.
We know what everyone is here to see though, the kills. Final Destination: Bloodlines does not disappoint in this category. There are several gruesome deaths outside of the opening scene, including one, that I had seen at CinemaCon 2025 previously, that was still just as glorious the second time around. The audience was squirming and it all finishes up with an explosive third act. The idea that Death can be a faceless, nameless antagonist is pushed in this one. Iris treats the entity like it’s a character, telling it off, letting it know that she’s watching, etc.
The performances here are all as good as you would expect. The family feels like a family. If you have cousins, aunts and uncles, or whatever, these people all feel lived in. They banter and bicker like cousins/siblings would. Part of the way through the film, I was struck by how I don’t really want these people to die. I wanted to hang out with them for longer. That makes it even stronger when Death strikes.
The most impactful performance in Final Destination: Bloodlines is Tony Todd. His performance as William Bludworth is short. He’s only in the film for one scene, but the impact, not only on the actual film, but on the audience is immense. Todd has since passed away, and this is his last performance we’re going to get. According to a Q&A after my screening of the film, the producers said that they threw out whatever dialogue they had for that scene and just let Tony go from the heart. Well, it definitely struck a chord with my heart, because in a sea of death and bloodshed, he has the most poignant scene in the entire series. It’s emotional, powerful, and really gives Tony Todd a fantastic sendoff in a hugely respectful way.
For longtime fans of Final Destination, this will feel like a return to form. For newcomers, like the similarly awesome Saw X, this will be a gateway to the series and the previous iterations. The cast and crew of Final Destination: Bloodlines knocked it out of the park with this one. It has all the hallmarks that longtime fans will love and look for, while also being accessible to new fans.
Final Destination: Bloodlines is a bloody, insane, and outrageous installment in the long-running horror franchise that’ll satisfy any type of fan.
Final Destination: Bloodlines releases in theaters on May 16th, 2025.
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