Few horror films make a cultural impact like the classic ones. Everyone knows the serial killer of nightmares, the hockey mask-wearing zombie, the guy with pins in his head, and the dude with the William Shatner face. Yet, newer ones have affected horror, such as Candyman, Art the Clown, and Ghostface. Although the Final Destination franchise has no physical figure that stalks its victims, the kills have been legendary. Thankfully, that continues with Final Destination: Bloodlines as Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein bring the series back to life.
Final Destination: Bloodlines, directed by Lipovsky and Stein, brings back Death to course-correct destiny and piles up the bodies. The script, written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, follows Stefani Reyes, played by Kaitlyn Santa Juana. Stefani discovers that Death has come for her and her entire family brutally and tries her damnedest to keep them alive. The Final Destination movies tend to have a simple premise, but Busick and Taylor slightly changed it while staying true to the lore.
There have been two ways to survive in Final Destination and Death’s design. Final Destination: Bloodlines goes differently and in a big way. The first Act’s catastrophe causes a rippling effect thanks to Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger), opening the franchise’s door to a new direction. The writers introduce the concept of wiping out entire generations and allow the movie to go hard with the character development and their impactful deaths.
Family secrets start to emerge during events in Final Destination: Bloodlines, giving the movie more meaning. There are several characters to connect to; the family isn’t cheesy and doesn’t come off like a soap opera. It’s realistic, but moments of genuine humor are still sprinkled throughout. Another noteworthy portion of the writing was the connection with one longstanding character in the franchise.
The iconic horror actor Tony Todd reprises his role as Mr. Bludworth in the series, and the writing gives his mysterious character an incredible “glow up.” It’s no secret that Final Destination: Bloodlines would be Todd’s final film, and the creatives behind the movie decided to give the actor a great send-off. The story brings his character full circle and showcases why Bludworth has been crucial. Lipovsky and Stein even allowed Todd to thank his fans and proclaim the importance of a meaningful life.
It honestly brought a tear to my eye.
Lipovsky and Stein have directed smaller-budget projects in their career. Final Destination: Bloodlines is a big step for the duo, and the pair doesn’t hold back. The inciting incident is an impressive display of confidence in their directing. The Rube Goldberg level in the first catastrophe starts most simply and grows into brilliance. That quality continues throughout the movie, with some moments of hilarity mixed perfectly. The final death in the film had me cheering and coming to terms with the fact that Lipovsky and Stein were born to make these movies.
Even the final disaster gave the movie a perfect bookend. It’s a nod to a memorable death scene in the Final Destination franchise that gave this movie the “cherry on top ” moment.”
I love Final Destination: Bloodlines. Lipovsky and Stein came into this series to make every death memorable while doing the same for the characters. The film is a beautiful send-off to a horror icon while paving the way for new ideas in this franchise. I cheered, laughed, cried a bit, and wanted more. Death is back, and it’s entertaining as f**k.