THE STORY – Plagued by a violent and recurring nightmare, a college student heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle of death and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
THE CAST – Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Rya Kihlstedt, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger & Tony Todd
THE TEAM – Zach Lipovsky & Adam B. Stein (Directors), Guy Busick & Lori Evans Taylor (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 110 Minutes
Any effective horror movie antagonist knows that the best moment to strike is when the victim is completely unaware of the attack. It’s best to lull them into a false sense of security and let the tension go on a roller coaster of increasing and subsiding anxieties until the rhythm finds a quiet pocket for release. That is until the intrusion occurs, and what follows is a bloody onslaught. The films in the “Final Destination” franchise were ubiquitous in the mainstream when the series first debuted a quarter of a century ago, but after a consistent output, this filmography has lain dormant for fourteen years. Now, after we’ve all believed to have escaped the horror, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” arrives to ascend from the grave to visit yet another reign of terror. Those who haven’t had the stomach to marvel at such carnage will likely not be moved by this latest entry. However, for those who do have an affinity for gory spectacle with a playful tone, there’s enough here to be thoroughly satisfied by this return.
There’s always a formula to these types of films, and this one starts out like all the rest. A bustling scene is captured with a large group of people that has the potential for the maximum amount of chaos and destruction. A slight subversion here is that our setting isn’t contemporary. It’s 1968, and young Iris (Brec Bassinger) is joining her boyfriend for the grand opening of the new Skyview Restaurant Tower. However, the party is spoiled, as it often is, by a vivid premonition detailing the gruesome deaths of everyone in attendance. When this vision ends, it is not Iris that we see in a flashback to the moments before. Instead, it’s the modern day, and Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) is haunted by nightmares of an event she has never actually witnessed. Digging into her family history, she discovers that Iris is her grandmother, now estranged from her clan because of the fanciful ravings about a stalking death curse. Stefani’s investigation leads her to a vast network of ripple effects that stem from that fateful day, a flurry of survivors who have succumbed to death’s design. Now, the trail is nearly at its end, and the line of succession has finally reached those she loves. The clock is ticking for Stefani to save the surviving members of her family before their fates are grimly sealed.
After so many films at this point, it can be difficult to bring any kind of innovation to a long-running series, and banality is what plagues most of these established horror dynasties. That’s why it is a fascinating concept that writers Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor have deployed here. Creating this spider-web of branches from this single incident fashions a way for the storytelling to feel interconnected with the other entries without the need for tiresome callbacks and self-aware references (though the logging truck may make a cameo appearance). Yes, the writing will rely on broad characterizations and ridiculous leaps in logic, but that is, after all, the territory these films find themselves in. To their credit, the writers at least make these characters free of grating tendencies, save for one that is the necessary foil, bringing an antagonistic energy. The setups to these killings are all silly in nature but also built from a foundation that isn’t too flippant, either. There is a knowing acknowledgment of the rules we’ve become accustomed to, and the narrative finds ways to play around with those expectations. Some will be seen coming from a mile away, like a large vehicle aiming for someone standing in the middle of the street, but others are more slyly delivered, so the violent punches have an even greater impact.
Because, truly, the spectacle is what gives these movies their charm and personality. Watching the intricate Rube Goldberg-inspired designs that trigger the cascading tragedy is always entertaining to see unfold. Directors Zack Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein have a steady handle on the right tone to strike. The material is inherently ridiculous, and there is an awareness of these ridiculous circumstances that lead to histrionic violence. Yet, the filmmaking revels in such sights, especially when the frame opens up IMAX settings to give a more expansive frame. These moments also include a hard shift in the color grading, which is a distracting demarcation in style, but it gives the death sequences a more vivid presentation that is appreciated. It’s an example of how Lipovsky and Stein know when it’s best to amplify the heightened reality and play for energizing terror. While the slick cinematography can sometimes be lackluster, the production design will find its own moments to shine, particularly with the armored fortress that the older Iris lives in. The twisted metal wasteland is an impressive showcase and a further recognition of the grandiosity that can be both insidious and gleefully absurd. The same is said for the layered sound design, exacting in its creaks and moans that elevate the tension before a barrage of wet body parts explodes onto the floor.
Unfortunately, another staple of this series has been an array of lackluster characters that populate these stories, with many being particularly detestable individuals who are born into the world only to be met with a cruel demise we are meant to emphatically cheer. We are thankfully spared from these loathsome individuals. There’s always a sympathetic protagonist at the core, and while Juana may not be delivering an exceptional turn, she’s a solid anchor to build these events around and showcases an endearing aura. Not a ton of personality is distributed among the rest of the ensemble, with the exception of Richard Harmon as Erik, the abrasive cousin that’s meant to needle away at every situation until you truly are rooting for justice to be delivered and a glorious scene involving an MRI machine absolutely delivers on that hunger. Harmon does sell the role with relish, and there is also a nice turn from Teo Briones as Stefani’s younger brother. He fulfills a generally anonymous role but also shares an easy chemistry with every member of the cast, and he’s a welcome presence, too.
It’s hard to deny that the one member of this cast who will get the most attention drawn to them is Tony Todd, reprising his mortician character made so popular by his droll monologues in the previous films. Here, that sense of menace is subdued, significantly reduced to the point that much of that intrigue is dissipated with the clunkiest attempts to explain his role. However, it’s obvious this trade was meant to give a proper sendoff to Todd in what would be his final film. His gaunt appearance does hint at his declining health even at this time, giving the scene an even greater tragedy. While the writing feels like a betrayal of this character as we’ve come to know him, it is slightly forgiven due to the sentiment behind this decision. Todd walks out of the frame with a “Good luck,” he whispers to the crew. It’s a knowing wink but a loving recognition of an actor who meant so much to these movies, and that is a touching sentiment to appreciate still.
It’s sometimes difficult to say that a film like “Final Destination Bloodlines” is easy to recommend. Few horror films are, and it takes a particular sensibility to be drawn here in the first place. You may not connect with the broad characters and may find the extensive list of them adding to a bloated narrative with occasionally dull pacing. There could be resistance to some of the attempts at humor that are inconsistently executed. Even for those with an affinity for this series, the finale might seem like an uninspired retread of previous endings, even though kudos can be paid for some practical effects work that is impressive to behold. Despite those shortcomings, the film has an understanding of its priorities. This franchise loves to utilize the wind as an element to signal death’s encroaching presence. It was easy to fall into parody before, but there, it was deployed in a manner that is both unsettling and ludicrous. That is the perfect summation of this film. It swerves towards originality in some places and doesn’t break the mold in others, but it has a firm grasp on exuberant violence that will captivate a cheering audience that revels in a character being squashed under a falling piano. If you’re that type of sicko, then this one will be one of the better rides this series has to offer.
