The Final Destination franchise has been the ultimate horror film standard for fans in the last two decades. Despite many films trying to match its level, none could compete with the OG, which formed a major part of the Gen Z’s childhood. After a decade long break, the makers are back with Final Destination Bloodlines and we couldn’t be more excited. Since it came after a long time, fans were excited to watch it and the film was finally released in theaters on May 16, 2025. Social media is ablaze with fans and critics sharing their reviews about the movie. Much to the delight of Indian fans, Final Destination Bloodlines was released a day prior to the USA. But does the new instalment live up to the high expectations set by the Final Destination franchise? Let’s find out.
Final Destination Bloodlines plot: Death comes back in a new form
In the previous Final Destination movies, we saw that random people were being killed at theme parks and on planes. But, this time, death targets a family which it believes shouldn’t be alive. It begins right from scratch when a college student named ‘Stefani Reyes’ played by Kaitlyn Santa Juana, is affected by a persistent vision of a tragic incident about her granny, ‘Iris’, portrayed by Gabrielle Rose, during the inauguration of the Sky View Restaurant Tower.
She is clueless about the reason for it and is left with no option but to unfold the mystery. For this purpose, she goes back to her hometown and finds out a secret about a family curse which has been passed on from one generation to the next. She establishes contact with her aunt and finally gets to meet her estranged grandmother, where she gets to know that death is behind their family (bloodline). Consequently, it begins a chase between death and ‘Stefani’ as the latter has made up her mind to fight and protect her loved ones. It is interesting to find out in the end whether ‘Stefani’ is able to fight destiny or not.
Final Destination Bloodlines: what works and what doesn’t
Final Destination Bloodlines has a lot of plus points. Beginning with the expectations, it is able to live up to them and carries forward the theme of unpredictable death in the franchise. Every death is carefully shown with attention to detail, where turning everyday objects turn brutal means of death. Also, suspense and ensuring murders are a step ahead of the previous films. However, Zack Lipovsky and Adam Stein did not deviate their plot much from the previous films, and some scenes in the second half seem unnecessarily long. Moreover, the extreme use of graphics, blood and lack of character development of supporting cases makes Final Destination Bloodlines feel a step back from perfection.
Coming to cast performances, Kaitlyn as ‘Stefani’ stands out by portraying the right of vulnerability and strength as she goes from becoming a college student to a family protector. She gets the right amount of support on-screen from Richard Harmon, who keeps some moments light with his dark humour but meets a chilling death. A few scenes, like the Sky View Tower event and Stefani’s meeting with her grandma, are staged exceptionally well.
Netizens are impressed with Final Destination Bloodlines
As Final Destination Bloodlines was released a day earlier in some countries, netizens quickly took to X and shared their opinions about it. One netizen shared his emotional experience watching the film and penned, “I was quite satisfied with Final Destination Bloodlines. It had a unique concept, and I enjoyed the opening disaster. Tony Todd received an emotional farewell that brought me to tears.” Another user wrote, “These two were my absolute favourite in Final Destination Bloodlines. Richard Harmon and Owen Patrick Joyner get to have some fun moments together, and one scene in particular is probably the highlight of the film.”
Overall, Final Destination Bloodlines doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but it wins with its shocking suspense, eerie atmosphere and innovative deaths. Despite the elements of predictability, it honours the legacy of Final Destination franchise, making it a good watch for the weekend.
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