Final Destination: Bloodlines

It's wild to say this, but after five movies and more than two decades, Final Destination somehow still has life left in it. Or rather, death. And this time, it hits a little closer to home. Bloodlines isn't just about unlucky strangers cheating fate anymore but it's about family. And with that shift, the stakes suddenly feel heavier, the emotions more raw. Because when death comes for the blood, it's not just fear you feel. It's grief. It's guilt. It's love. And maybe that's why this entry stands out, for better or worse.

Let's start with the concept. Family has never been the center of this franchise. We've seen classmates, co-workers, and acquaintances on the run from death, but this time, we're watching people who genuinely care for each other fall into that cycle. That makes a huge difference. It hurts more. It hits deeper. And yeah, it makes us wonder, if it were your family, how far would you go to stop the inevitable?

Also, credit where it's due. The film tries something new with the opening accident. No highways, no planes, no race tracks or suspension bridges. This time, it all kicks off in a high-rise restaurant. That shift alone already breathes new life into the formula. It's unexpected. It's acrophobic. It's oddly elegant and terrifying at the same time. But don't get too excited, if you were hoping for the long-awaited ship or water-related disaster (like many of us were), this ain't it.

Now, let's talk about the gore. We know why you're here. And yes, the deaths are brutal. Bloody. Wild. There were moments we flinched, moments we squirmed, moments we covered our eyes and peeked through our fingers. But as great as some of those sequences were, they don't quite reach the unforgettable horror of FD 2 or 3. Why? Because it uses too much CGI. The deaths feel animated and not in a good way. There's something about practical effects that stick with you, that disturb you long after the credits roll. Bloodlines often trades that realism for spectacle, and in doing so, it loses a bit of its bite.

The suspense is honestly a hit or miss. Part of what made Final Destination so scary was how simple the deaths were. The log truck that caused generational trauma, the tanning bed that was caused by dripping water, the escalator that was merely simple but very traumatizing, the lasik eye surgery that could happen basically to anyone. They made you fear your own bathroom. But here, some of the deaths feel too 'engineered'. Like fate had to go through a hundred different steps and a sprinkle of miracles just to make them happen. That makes it less scary, less grounded. It becomes a "movie death," not a "this could happen to me" death.

And that brings us to tone. This one's tricky. Bloodlines has this weird, goofy energy that feels like it wandered in from another genre. While we have cloudy sombre mood in Final Destination 2 or gothic rock look in Final Destination 3, this one felt goofy overall. It's still horror, yes, but it sometimes flirts a little too hard with comedy and not in the smart, dark humor way. Some of the jokes land, but a few feel way out of place. Like they belong in a Nickelodeon teen movie, not a franchise built on dread and doom. It felt comical and fantasy-like. You can definitely feel the directors' Disney Channel DNA in there especially in how some of the dialogue is written and delivered (Remember, they directed the live-action Kim Possible Movie fore real). A few lines honestly made us laugh, not because they were funny, but because they felt awkwardly placed or just plain corny.

But even with the tonal whiplash, the movie does do a few things really well. The balance between drama and horror is actually quite solid in some scenes. There are moments where you do care about the characters, their grief, their confusion, their desperation. There's one particular scene involving a sibling that really tugged at the heart. And those are the moments where Bloodlines reminds us what this franchise can be when it isn't trying to be too clever or too loud.

There are also some nice throwbacks for longtime fans but it's blink-and-you'll-miss-it easter eggs like a passing log truck, a familiar hospital name (Clear River, anyone?), and references to past characters or deaths. It's fan service, sure, but in a sweet, subtle way. Not overbearing. Just enough to make you smile but in fear.

Unfortunately, the pacing could've been tighter. The first half is a slow burn, and if you came in expecting death after death like Final Destination 2 or 4, you might be let down. This feels more like the first film. The story drives the engine, and the deaths are pit stops along the way. The final climax was mid. It doesn't really feel like that was supposed to be the climax of the movie. They could have explored more on how they could have impacted the story or the deaths more but what we got was a mid climax that felt boring and meh. It just doesn't build up to that edge-of-your-seat tension we were hoping for. It fizzles, rather than explodes.

We need to be honest about the visuals. Some of the camera work, lighting choices and delivery of dialogues just feel... off. Almost like you're watching an 18+ TV show rather than a polished horror film. At times it looks cheap, which is disappointing because this series deserves to feel cinematic. The horror deserves weight. Gravity. Darkness. Instead, it occasionally feels like a high-budget student film with B to C-list actors.

Still, despite all of that, we can't lie. We had fun. It gave us chills. It made us look over our shoulder. And more than anything, it reminded us that the Final Destination series still knows how to make death feel terrifyingly inevitable.

Verdict: After five films and a long break, Final Destination: Bloodlines doesn't just bring the franchise back - it rewires it. It's flawed, yes. The CGI bleeds into the kills too much. The goofy tone doesn't always match the stakes. But it hits deep. This isn't just about death anymore. It's about love, guilt, and what it means to lose someone you'd die for. Sure, some deaths feel too engineered, and yes, the tone sometimes slips into Nickelodeon-territory, but there's a real beating heart underneath the chaos. The CGI may cheapen the gore, but it still made us squirm, look away, and nervously laugh all in the same breath. It's not the scariest entry but it might be the most 'human'. And for a series known for senseless carnage, that's a wild achievement.

Final Destination: Bloodlines is a great time. It does the smart thing and goes for a more comedic approach than earlier entries in the series.

Bloodlines contains possibly the best opening of the franchise and the first 20 minutes are a treat. The effects, while not amazing, do the job and are particularly gory even for this series.

The movie works well bringing a new twist on the Final Destination formula and the family are all likable enough in their own ways.

It would be remiss of me not to mention a standout in Richard Harmon. I spend a good portion of his time on screen trying to calculate if Tom Green could have fathered him as he is his dead ringer in this (amazingly both canadian as well). It was obvious they were going for a Tom Green type of character.

Tony Todd shows up for the last time as the mortician and it's a great emotional and poetic send off for him as well as giving his character an interesting backstory.

The movie has some nice little easter eggs for fans of the series with some call backs to previous entries as well as harking back to some of the premonitions.

The Final Destination franchise has always been interesting to me but never quite delivered a quality movie. This is perhaps the closest it has came to that by just being a good time and not getting bogged down in the lore.

Final Destination: Bloodlines isn't going to pull a rabbit out of its undead hat, reinvent the horror wheel, or stake its claim as a genre-defining masterstroke-but that's not the point.

What it does do is breathe new life into a franchise that felt like it had run out of steam. Bloodlines is a solid sixth installment, packing the same patented "inevitable death" mechanics we know and (occasionally) love, but with enough fresh twists to keep die-hard fans from checking out.

If you never warmed to the idea of "death's design" calling the shots, this won't convert you. For everyone else, the film delivers brilliantly choreographed set pieces of grisly demise-think elaborate Rube Goldberg traps drenched in splatter FX-that hit the sweet spot between macabre creativity and good old-fashioned gore.

The biggest upgrade this time around is emotional buy-in: the victims aren't a bunch of arbitrary strangers thrown together by fate. Instead, Bloodlines builds sincere rapport with its core ensemble, giving each death a bit more narrative weight (and, yes, a smidge of pathos) before the inevitable payoff.

Unfortunately, the dialogue remains as thin as ever-flat exposition one moment, telenovela melodrama the next-reminding you that subtlety wasn't high on the call sheet.

On the plus side, the movie leavens the carnage with genuinely funny, ironically staged moments-many courtesy of Erik, whose over-the-top flair steals scenes from our so-called protagonist-and the delightfully absurd chain reactions (who knew the garbage truck could be such a menace?).

Even though the film trudges into its predictable finale with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball, Bloodlines is pure adrenaline: brutal, energetic, and darkly comedic. In other words, exactly what you paid for when you bought that Final Destination ticket.

If you are going into this movie just to have a good time and turn your brain off then you'll enjoy this film. However, as someone who became obsessed with the Final Destination franchise nearly 2 decades ago after watching the choose your own fate edition of Final Destination 3 with the tanning bed scene permanently seared into my brain, I'm a bit more harsh.

Cons:

• The CGI blood and kills. Nothing takes me out of a scene more than dark red cartoon blood. With a film that is built PRIMARILY on deaths it should be quite limited on the usage of CGI. We've seen great use of practical effects which is why this feels like such wasted potential. The biggest reason these movies work is because no matter how ridiculous the set up is the death still feels real (4th sequel excluded). It doesn't have the same effect if the person dying sudden looks like an animated character.

• This might be the most useless protagonist since the 4th installment. The main character might be the blandest character in the whole movie, and she has some tough competition because only 3 people stand out in this movie. I can forgive throw away characters if the deaths are memorable but both are lacking here.

• There have been rumors that there were reshoots and I believe them because the final act has some pacing issues and ends somewhat abruptly.

Pros:

• I will say that this film had the 2nd best opening scene/disaster behind the pile up.

• Tony Todd's goodbye was moving and possibly the best dialogue he has given in the franchise.

• The hospital death scene involving an MRI machine has a great build up of suspense and emotion and is up there with other iconic final destination death scenes.

• While there is more cons then pros for me I still had a good time and still fun to see in theaters. While some FD sequels miss the mark there is always another sequel that can surpass it. Can't wait for the next sequels!!

This sixth franchise installment keeps the same core concept as the previous films but takes a fresh approach to the story. This time, the accidents aren't shown through the typical dynamics of the characters, but focus on tragedies from the past of the main character's grandmother. The film doesn't just involve friends and loved ones, but also family, making the narrative much darker and more morbid.

The deaths are far more creative, and while the accidents themselves aren't typical for a horror movie, they're events you could imagine happening in everyday life. Still, these occurrences are something we haven't seen in the series before, making the film all the more unpredictable.

It's been 14 years since the last installment, and I'm glad the creators decided to bring Final Destination back. I think they nailed the essence of the story, and the film is just as good as the previous ones, if not better than some. The effects are incredible, the CGI is top-notch, and we've been lacking a high-quality horror film like this, especially in the last few years.

I have to mention that the film disgusted and shocked me more than the previous ones, which means they nailed the effects. This film not only satisfies fans of the franchise but also brings something new and revitalizes the series.