FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is a 2025 horror thriller film directed by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky from a screenplay by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, from a story by Jon Watts, Guy Busick, and Lori Evans Taylor. It is based on characters created by Jeffrey Reddick. The film marks the 6th entry in the Final Destination franchise, and the first entry since 2011.
Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
The cast includes Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Rya Kihlstedt, Anna Lore, with Brec Bassinger, and Tony Todd.
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES made its debut in theaters May 16th, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
The FINAL DESTINATION film franchise is iconic, that is simply a fact that cannot be argued. The formula for the first film was absolutely ahead of its time which is a big reason why the franchise enjoyed a successful 11-year run that churned out five films. One thing I love about this franchise is the fact that each film offered something unique while still capturing the magic that made the original so great.
You could even argue that the original film isn’t the best film in the franchise, which is honestly something you could debate all day long with fans. For example, FINAL DESTINATION 2 hit especially hard because after that movie, I was never able to comfortably drive behind a truck hauling giant logs. I also have vivid memories heading to the theater to see FINAL DESTINATION 2 during a blizzard, and I swear I looked left right up and down probably a hundred times on my way to the theater.
There is something to be said about a movie that can stick with you like that. Now it’s been almost 15-years since the fifth film came out, and I honestly didn’t think that we would get another movie in this franchise. So when the marketing started to come out about a new movie, I was absolutely ecstatic. I was trying to keep my expectations in check because I am such a big fan, but on my way to the theater admittedly I was looking to be transported back to the good old days of movie watching.
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES was absolutely fantastic! I mean, I can’t even begin to explain how many things they did to not the only appease hard-core fans of the franchise, but to also create something that is just standalone a great movie. FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES finds a way to go full circle in terms of the overall premise of the films, while also upping the anti-on production value, scale, And most importantly, some friggin’ awesome deaths.
I went back and re-watched the original film, and although it was certainly goofy in some ways, it was never really intentional, making the tone feel sort of off. I felt like as the franchise progressed, they started to gravitate towards that blend of horror and comedy making for a much more impactful experience. FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is absolutely in the vein as it can be hilarious at times but can also have you gritting your teeth in suspense. I was honestly so uncomfortable at times knowing that something was about to happen, and that just speaks to how well they handled the sequences in this film.
I’m finding it difficult to go too in-depth without giving anything away, but the domino effect of the FINAL DESTINATION films is just on another level here. I mean, honestly I’m having a hard time finding many critiques of this film. I thought the acting was great all things considered in terms of the blend of humor and horror, I loved the soundtrack, and the special effects were absolutely amazing. Clocking in at just shy of 2-hours I felt like the film didn’t seem to waste a single minute and was edited to perfection, and I’m honestly having a hard time deciding on which one of the awesome deaths was my favorite.
Just touching a bit more on the overall story, to be honest I tried to avoid watching too much of the trailers just because I wanted to be surprised to see what direction they decided to go as they attempted to reboot the franchise. After seeing FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES, I honestly feel like they handled it perfectly as they found a way to stay true to the franchise while also breathing new life into a very loyal fanbase.
Seriously this movie was just so much damn fun and I want so badly to just talk about it, but I’ll stick with my guns and not spoil anything and hope that someone else I know will see it sooner than later. Even the final seconds of the film felt like a tribute to the franchise, which I absolutely loved. Plus speaking of tributes, legendary actor of Tony Todd was given the sendoff he rightfully deserved in this film. He will be missed.
THE VERDICT
A massively entertaining horror comedy that perfectly captures the magic of the original films, FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is an incredible addition to an absolutely iconic franchise. If you consider yourself to be a fan of this franchise, you need to see this movie as soon as humanly possible. I can’t wait to add FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES to my 4K Blu-ray collection, and have my fingers crossed that it will include some great extras on there as well.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.9/10
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.