Twenty-five years since first traumatising horror fans, Final Destination is back with a sixth instalment in the beloved franchise. From log trucks to tanning beds, rollercoasters, and even the humble shower cubicle, Final Destination has consistently unlocked a new set of phobias as each protagonist experiences a catastrophic premonition, saves the lives of those around them, and becomes Death's new target.
Final Destination: Bloodlines begins with young and loved-up couple Iris (Brec Bassinger) and Paul Campbell (Max Lloyd-Jones) attending the opening night of the Sky Lounge, a restaurant atop a towering structure overlooking the breathtaking cityscape around it. Paul pops the question to a pregnant Iris and the future looks bright for the lovebirds, but this is a Final Destination film, and of course we've seen the cracks in the glass of the dancefloor, bolts popping from the restaurant's foundation, and a coin thrown by a mischevious attendee stuck in a vent. After all hell breaks loose, we cut to the present day with Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who sees these events unfold every night when she goes to sleep. She recognises Iris as her grandma, and visits her father Lee (Andrew Tinpo) and brother Charlie (Teo Briones) to ask about her estranged mother Darlene's (Rya Kihlstedt) mum.
When she can't get answers from them, she rocks up at the home of her Uncle Howard (Alex Zahara), Aunt Brenda (April Telek), and cousins Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Joyner). After tracking Iris (Gabrielle Rose) down, she learns that after she prevented the Sky Lounge disaster, she was added to Death's hit list. But because she saved so many lives, Death has taken its sweet time tracking everyone down, and as such, they have had children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren who were never meant to exist. When Iris finally gives herself up to show Stefani she is telling the truth, death begins taking out the Campbells one by one, and they must band together to break the chain.
Just like every film in the franchise, we begin with a spectacular disaster scene that has audiences on the edge of their seats from the get-go. We've all come to know exactly what to expect from these cold opens, but the team behind Final Destination is well aware of this and plays into our expectations to ratchet up the tension, drip-feeding us potential hazards that may or may not play into the final death toll. A mix of CGI and practical effects, it is arguably the most jaw-dropping of the franchise so far, upping the ante at every turn as Iris desperately tries to escape from hundreds of feet in the air.
Cut to the present day, we quickly learn the strained dynamics of the Campbell family. Iris has been institutionalised multiple times over the years thanks to her theories about Death, and her children taken from her care at a young age. The generational trauma wasn't broken with Stefani and Charlie's mother, Darlene, who also abandoned them both in childhood. Fear runs in the family in Final Destination: Bloodlines, which, for the first time in the franchise, focuses on one family unit, the bonds between them, and puts them through the ultimate test as they desperately try to save each other's lives. It adds an additional layer of terror to the same splattery deaths we know and love, exploring the trauma our loved ones can wreak.
There are buckets of gore on offer as Final Destination 6's kills go back to their roots, offering realistic, nightmarish situations where disaster could strike at any moment rather than the more fantastical deaths we've seen in recent instalments. You'll never look at an MRI machine or a nose ring in the same way again, that's for sure. It features some of the strongest performances of the franchise, including a tear-jerking turn from the late, great Tony Todd, who has become a staple across the films as William Bloodworth. His character's backstory reveal doesn't feel forced for fans, and his final goodbye is perfect closure for fans of the horror icon.
A bloody, bonkers, thrill-ride from start to finish, Final Destination: Bloodlines has everything fans have come to love from the iconic horror series, while exploring new avenues that pack a stronger emotional punch than ever before. Nerve-shredding and hilarious in equal measure, the directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein have struck gold with this gruesome and strangely haunting instalment that is sure to become one of the must-see horror films of the year.
Final Destination: Bloodlines is released in UK cinemas on May 14
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