After a 14-year hiatus, the Final Destination franchise returns with Final Destination: Bloodlines, a film that delivers familiar thrills and gruesome deaths — but not much else. Running a lean 109 minutes, this sixth entry in the long-running horror series is more fan service than franchise evolution. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but for a film that could’ve marked a bold new chapter, Bloodlines plays it disappointingly safe.
Like many horror franchises before it — Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, Tremors — the Final Destination series has gradually shifted away from its intense, high-concept roots and embraced a campier, crowd-pleasing tone. This is a film that knows its audience and caters to them: casual horror fans looking for a macabre good time filled with inventive kills and dark comedy. In that regard, it delivers.
The signature element of every Final Destination film is, of course, the opening disaster sequence — that hyper-stylized Rube Goldbergian carnage that sets the whole domino effect in motion. Bloodlines doesn’t disappoint here. The initial set piece is a standout, both in scale and execution, and offers grim satisfaction.
What’s new is the introduction of a family dynamic. The title is a nod not only to the blood spilled but to blood ties: brothers, cousins, and fractured familial bonds. The film explores the idea of shared fate among relatives. One of the most compelling elements is the dynamic between two of the brothers, whose relationship injects a little more heart into the story.
Bloodlines leans heavily on formula and familiarity, with red herring scenes, sudden fatalities and the kind of comedic beats that feel more Scary Movie than Se7en. It’s self-aware with winks to longtime fans and references that might fly over the heads of newcomers. Still, the comedic tone serves a purpose — providing relief from the tension for people who find unrelenting horror too draining. There’s a sweet spot a film can hit when mixing humor and gore, and Bloodlines get pretty close.
Tony Todd, the franchise’s enigmatic and iconic mortician, returns in a scene that’s arguably the film’s most poignant moment. For the first time, we get a glimpse into his backstory, and it’s a haunting, grounded scene that adds much-needed depth to a character long shrouded in mystery. Todd’s presence is a reminder of the series’ potential. Unfortunately, Bloodlines largely avoids those ambitions.
This installment could have been a reinvention. After more than a decade away, the franchise had the perfect opportunity to reset — to go darker, lean into the psychological terror of fate and mortality, and take creative risks. Instead, we’re treated to more of the same: quick, mostly forgettable deaths, minimal narrative stakes, and an ending that doesn’t quite land. The finale feels rushed and unearned, perhaps because the characters themselves never truly connect. Unlike previous entries, where you found yourself rooting for — or at least caring about — the doomed ensemble, most of Bloodlines’ cast feels like filler between fatalities.
From a production standpoint, the film looks solid. The effects are serviceable, even if they lack the ingenuity or visceral punch of earlier installments. There’s no over-the-top gore here — mostly blunt-force trauma and sudden shock kills. Budgetary constraints likely played a role, but camp and cost-efficiency often go hand in hand in horror, and that’s part of what gives these films their charm.
There’s a reason so many horror franchises drift toward this blend of horror and comedy. It’s not just to please fans — though that’s certainly a factor. It’s also a practical strategy. Tension needs release, and comedy provides that. It makes the violence easier to digest, expands the audience base and, let’s be honest, helps mask a lack of innovation when the series starts to run on fumes.
Final Destination: Bloodlines won’t convert any skeptics. It’s not a horror masterwork or even a standout within its own series. But it is fun. And for fans who’ve been waiting over a decade just to see another round of elaborate, karmic deaths, that might be enough.
Still, one can’t help but wonder what could have been. With a little more ambition and a lot more narrative creativity, this could’ve been the fresh start the series deserved. Instead, we’re left with a mildly entertaining retread that plays like a greatest hits album — enjoyable in the moment, but ultimately forgettable.
It’s a 4 out of 10. Fans will enjoy the ride and everyone else can catch up on a streaming channel.
