The Reel Review
Plagued by a recurring nightmare about a decades-old mass death event involving her estranged grandmother, a young college student discovers that the lives of her entire extended family are now in grave danger. Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Rya Kihlstedt (Dexter) and Brec Bassinger star in this sixth installment in the Final Destination horror franchise.
Incorporating gallows humor with some creatively intricate and awesomely gnarly kills, Final Destination: Bloodlines is a surprisingly well-done supernatural horror/thriller that is clever enough not to take itself too seriously while packing just enough plot twists to keep viewers on their toes. Few of the deaths play out as expected. Co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein (Freaks, Kim Possible) keep the pacing brisk and the well-done practical effects humming along, working from a screenplay from a duo of writers whose credits include Abigail, Scream and Wicked Wicked Games.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana does a fine job carrying the film, supported by a fun ensemble of doomed “family members.” Yes, the plot, like all of the other Final Destination films, is silly, but story isn’t the reason to watch these movies – the gory kills are. And in that, Final Destination: Bloodlines succeeds many times over, while cleverly coming full circle with the storyline of the franchise’s recurring character, mortician William Bludworth, played by the late Tony Todd.
REEL FACTS
• Final Destination 5 was released in 2011, making this 14-year gap between films the longest in the franchise’s history.
• Final Destination: Bloodlines was the final movie for Tony Todd (the first, second and fifth Final Destination films, Candyman), who died of stomach cancer in November 2024. His final monologue was his own personal, heartfelt goodbye to fans.
• Final Destination: Bloodlines has become the best-reviewed and highest-grossing installment ($285 million) in the franchise.
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