By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Fans of the "Final Destination" franchise have waited 14 years for a new installment since the release of "Final Destination 5" in 2011. Now, the wait is finally over.
"Final Destination: Bloodlines," directed by
Zach Lipovsky ("Freaks Underground") and Adam Stein (TV's "Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion"), has arrived, and it is a real doozy. The trailers offer only a tantalizing glimpse of the chaos to come.
"Final Destinations: Bloodlines" cleverly honors the formula fans love--elaborate, fate-driven deaths and a growing sense of paranoia, while introducing a deeper, more emotional backstory that ties into the franchise's roots.
The movie explores the chilling concept of inherited fate, focusing on a group of characters who discover that cheating death might run in their bloodline. The set pieces are as inventive and grotesquely satisfying as ever. After this, you might just find yourself looking at a ceiling fan in a completely new light.
While the film doesn't radically reinvent the series, it injects just enough new blood--literally and figuratively--to feel fresh.
Screenwriters Guy Busick ("Abigail," and "Scream VI"), Lori Evans Taylor (TV's "Lucky Dog"), and Jon Watts, TV's "Skeleton Crew") strike a solid balance between suspense, shock, and even a touch of dark humor. Longtime fans will appreciate the callbacks to earlier entries, while newcomers won't feel out of place.
"Final Destination: Bloodlines" is set in 1968, where Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger, "TV's "Stargirl") and her fiancé Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones, TV's "The Irrational") are ready for a memorable night out. Paul surprises Iris with a visit to the grand reopening of the Skyview Restaurant Tower. It's a gleaming structure reminiscent of Seattle's Space Needle. As guests sip cocktails, party to live music, and enjoy the dazzling city view, Iris begins to feel uneasy. A wave of dizziness hits her, and an ominous sense of dread sets in.
Then, in a seemingly innocent moment, a bratty kid (Noah Bromley, "Happy Holidays from Cherry Lane") drops a penny. What follows is a surreal and terrifying chain reaction, culminating in a catastrophic gas explosion. Glass shatters, bodies are hurled through windows, and chaos erupts in a matter of seconds--plunging the evening into unthinkable horror.
I'll tell you; this scene is the most incredible and realistic disaster sequence you will likely see this year. It is extraordinary.
Fast forward nearly 50 years later and we meet Iris's granddaughter and promising college student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana, "The Friendship Game") in her dorm with her roommate. Stefani is struggling in school because she keeps having these recurring nightmares about that tower collapsing.
The only way to face her fears and try to find out what is going on is to reach out to her estranged family. They are an odd bunch, but they're family and include her mother Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt, TV's "Star Wars: Tales of the Empire"), father Marty (Tinpo Lee, TV's "Kung Fu"), her brother Charlie (Teo Briones, TV's "Chucky"), uncle Howard (Alex Zahara, TV's "School Spirits"), aunt Brenda (April Telek, "Armageddon Road") and cousins Julia (Anna Lore, TV's "Gotham Knights"), Eric (Richard Harmon, "Lowlifes"), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner, TV's "Julie and the Phantoms").
After rummaging through some old letters, Stefani also learns that her grandmother Iris (Gabrielle Rose, TV's "Virgin River") is alive but not so well and living in a dark, old, dilapidated house. When Stefani visits her, she is told that her nightmares are "Visions of Death" that are returning to claim their family.
The big question is: why has this curse been inflicted upon them, and how can it be stopped or broken? I won't spoil the details, but I will say that the late Tony Todd, in his final movie before his passing last year, reprises his iconic role as William Bludworth. He provides Stefani and her family with the chilling advice they need to survive. Still, they must endure hell and back in their desperate attempt to break free.
"Final Destination: Bloodlines" proves the franchise still has life in it, and even death still has plenty of bloody good surprises.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the
Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station
KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Take a Peek At This Trailer For
"FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
