The sixth installment of the Final Destination saga is now in theaters and offers fans exactly what they want to see. This time around, the mix of bloody deaths and slapstick humor is just too crammed with story.
Since the first Final Destination film in 2000, the franchise, which now comprises six installments, has been synonymous with deaths that are as absurd as they are creative, in which the Grim Reaper comes for everyone who has cheated death. After an impressive 14 years, Final Destination 6: Bloodlines, the latest film in the macabre saga, is now in theaters. Find out here whether the film is worth seeing, especially for franchise fans.
Final Destination 6 fires off bizarre chain reaction deaths in the most brutal manner
The new film from directing duo Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein is set in the 1960s, where a young woman and her lover are caught up in a gruesome accident in a huge skyscraper restaurant that she herself has foreseen. Only by doing so was she able to save herself, her boyfriend, and many others present.
In the present day, college student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) regularly dreams about this incident, which her grandmother Iris (Brec Bassinger) experienced and survived. When she visits the now elderly woman, who is mostly ignored by the rest of the family, she becomes part of the Grim Reaper’s grand plan, which does not stop at Iris’ descendants.
The opening scene of Final Destination 6 makes it clear what fans of the series can expect. Bloody deaths, celebrated in the most violent and creative ways possible, are once again at the heart of this horror film. This time, the directors milk the fatal “accidents” so thoroughly that Final Destination 6 becomes pure splatter comedy.
One sequence in particular, involving Stefani’s cousin Erik (Richard Harmon) and his numerous, not immediately visible piercings, as well as an MRI machine in the hospital, is a hilarious highlight of the series.
Compared to its much older predecessors, however, the effects also seem to have stood still in time. The CGI in the latest Final Destination film often looks so outdated that the artificial cartoon factor could be even more pronounced for many viewers.
Final Destination 6 slows itself down with a mythologically inflated story
The new sequel would fit seamlessly into the quality of the best films in the franchise if it weren’t for the unnecessarily inflated running time and the associated story ballast. Final Destination 6 is about 15 minutes longer than the previous installments and is constantly slowed down by slow story developments. These are also much more serious than the splatter comedy tone of the death scenes and aim for an emotionality that doesn’t always fit well with the film’s fun factor.
With deadly fates branching out across an entire family tree and lots of discussions about whether and how death will strike next or be outwitted, Final Destination 6 is somewhat weighed down by its own mythology. However, fans are likely to overlook this thanks to the set pieces that are sprinkled in at just the right moments and will still be well entertained.
However, the plot twists have one major advantage: the final appearance on camera of horror icon Tony Todd, who died in 2024, is a melancholic highlight of the film, allowing the Candyman actor to bid a dignified farewell.
Fans of the Final Destination series can look forward to another trip with the Grim Reaper, who once again strikes in the most creative manner. If there is a sequel, it can gladly be 96 minutes long again.
