Death begins a new cycle in Final Destination Bloodlines, the sixth entry of the film series that’s known for its elaborate Rube Goldberg machine-style deaths. The catch here is that Death may be more ambitious than ever, aiming to snuff out an entire family’s bloodline after its matriarch evaded its grasp decades prior. That presents […]
Brec Bassinger as “Iris” in New Line Cinema’s “Final Destination Bloodlines,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
That perspective shift is the first noticeable departure from the Final Destination blueprint. The inciting disaster itself is a fittingly complex chain of events that spells doom in a variety of ways and yields the appropriate level of carnage, but don’t expect any subsequent deaths to reach the same level of intricacy or tension. Though that’s not to say they’re devoid of creativity or macabre humor and blood splatter.
Directors Zach Lipovsky & Adam Stein (Freaks), working from a script by Guy Busick (Abigail, Scream VI, Ready or Not) and Lori Evans Taylor (Cellar Door), know that the kills are the franchise’s biggest source of fun and embrace them with playful spirit. The directing duo employ clever misdirection and tongue-in-cheek plot reveals to keep the audience on their toes, and find new ways to dispatch characters in the most outlandish ways. As entertaining as the mayhem can be, the practical effects are frequently overshadowed by more noticeable CGI.
Overcrowding Death’s design is the dense family history at the center of it all. There’s a lot of ground to cover to establish family dynamics, especially in one so fraught with residual generational trauma and estrangements, which does bog down the pacing. That’s compounded by a fairly predictable trajectory, even beyond Death’s order. Stefani makes for an affable lead, though she’s often saddled with trying to convince her family of their lethal plight over noticing Death’s signs; that eerie deja vu feeling that signals Death’s impending strike feels much more subdued than usual.
Not helping is the convenience of Iris’s handy guide to unfurl the entire rules and history of Death’s machinations, which is great for exposition but diminishes Stefani’s agency in the process when she’s trapped in a more passive, reactive state. The handy guide to Death winds up more of an expositional crutch that feels tailor-made for shorter attention spans.
Tony Todd as “William Bludworth” in New Line Cinema’s “Final Destination Bloodlines,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo credit: Eric Milner
Bloodlines operates as an accessible entry point into the Final Destination films, one laden with referential nods and easter eggs to past films, but it does bring closure for the series’ recurring character Bludworth (Tony Todd). Or rather, it brings closure to the horror icon who’s portrayed the mysterious mortician over the past 25 years. The aura of supernatural mystery behind Bludworth gets unceremoniously but tenderly dispelled, but it’s Tony Todd himself who brings affecting poignancy to his brief appearance. Todd’s monologue, mostly improvised and from the heart, serves as a heartfelt goodbye, the first genuine tearjerker moment of the entire film series.
It’s a momentous scene that also captures the film’s unevenness. The highs of creative kills and Tony Todd’s poignant final bow are offset by an underdeveloped story that struggles beyond its solid concept. The family at the center of the zany carnage is never as interesting as the idea of Death seeking to wipe out an entire bloodline, and the lack of suspense is noticeable. While it occasionally feels like a more watered-down version than its predecessors, at least in terms of lore, Final Destination Bloodlines does succeed in delivering enough summer horror fun with its outrageous deaths to appease movie goers seeking some blood-soaked escapism.
Final Destination Bloodlines opens in theaters on May 16, 2025.
