Final Destination: Bloodlines Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

Death returns to settle a score, & this time it's a whole family needing to fear the grim reaper. Freak accidents, bloody mishaps, Final Destination is back!

Genre: Horror

Director: Zach Lipovsky & Adam Stein

Cast: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Rya Kihlstedt, Brec Bassinger, Anna Lore, Tinpo Lee, Gabrielle Rose & Tony Todd.

Run Time: 110 min.

US Release: 16 May 2025

UK Release: 14 May 2025

German Release: 15 May 2025

Fifteen years after the release of Final Destination 5, the franchise returns to the big screen to entice viewers with fun, gory disasters. Honestly, the marketing campaign was going hard on promoting this movie, but the trailers, as fun as that shortened garden sequence was, didn’t sell me on it completely. The looming question for me was: Is this a quick cash-grab, based on the core formula this horror charter created, or does it contain an intriguing story with compelling personas? Let’s figure it out as we skip death’s traps, while traversing my review for Final Destination: Bloodlines

College student Stefani suffers from recurring nightmares of a tower collapse in the 60s. Returning home to find answers, she figures out she inherited these premonitions from her grandmother, who rescued a whole group that shouldn’t have survived. Now death returns to wipe out this mistake by taking out the people, plus their family members. 

A new chapter in the series went into development in 2019, meant as a soft reboot, with a fresh take set in the world of first responders. As time passed, the screenplay didn’t come to fruition, reshaping the plot into what is now known as Bloodlines.

Writers Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor gave the chapter an innovative twist, setting it apart from other Final Destination entries, by including the concept of a generational curse, where the de facto prevention of a massive calamity decades ago haunts the descendants of the survivors. This idea adds layers to family structures, as the death sequences feel more personal, as well as adding to the suspense.

Just like previous installations, this sixth entry weaved in references to some of the previous flicks, specifically the second one, naming Kimberly Corman in person. Though some were merely hinted at in drawings, the Kimberly reference was organically added into a conversation. The narrative follows recognisable arcs, making the premise extremely predictable, yet the focus on family tropes gives the whole story an engaging hook. 

The balancing tone between tense horror and dark comedy doesn't always work, specifically as the humour is way off at times. That said, it does deliver anxiety-inducing death sequences with a self-aware tone. Then there is the issue of character development, which this movie focuses on the most shallow level; there is little introspection in actions that lead to lethal consequences, while growth is barely existent. Generally, the screenplay leans more into entertainment than depth. 

The dialogue is kept to the point, though it uses heavy exposition to explain what is happening. Topics of mortality, or even fate, are quickly disposed of through superficial talks. Conversations between family members do sound natural; however, the “witty” humour is mostly a fail, plus the drama is artificially bloated.

The basic cast gave strong performances, but individual focus on personas was sparse, as the focal point lied more on the family as a whole, than any one character alone. This is also true for Kaitlyn Santa Juana, who portrays Stefani Reyes, the main persona. Though she gave a nuanced rendition, Stefani came still of as one-dimensional and underdeveloped.

Brec Bassinger appeared as a young Iris in the 19060s, possibly having, next to lead, the second most centred attention. Still, not much of her is explored, with slight exposition explaining how her personality was shaped after she had her premonition. This leads us to Gabrielle Rose, the older Iris in the present, who is completely wasted. 

Tony Todd returns as William Bludworth, the mysteriously enigmatic mortician, who made several appearances throughout the previous movies. His short screen time presence was marked by a bittersweet final performance. Contrary to other instalments, this feature gave the character a backstory.

Cinematographically, this sixth entry is a mixed bag. The opening sequence, playing in the sixties, looks too polished, using overly saturated colours. In contrast, the rest of the film, playing in the presence, has a solid mix of lighting, shadow, as well as a balanced colour palette. The dynamic movements of cameras help turn ordinary rooms into ominous death traps, as everyday objects become potential lethal instruments. The edit lacks experience, as the general pacing seems unevenly clunky. 

Most of the time, the effects are disappointing, leaning heavily on CGI use instead of practical effects. The few practical effects are gruesome, and the gore level is impressive. Unfortunately, the most creative death scenes have already been shown in the trailers.

The soundtrack by Tim Wynn is generic and forgettable. The sound effects, on the other hand, are well elaborated, adding a sensation of threat to the overall picture. The trademark use of needle-dropping popular songs to advertise death’s coming makes a return. 

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Verdict: The sixth flick in the series is a fun, yet forgettable watch. The innovative spin on the core elements made the premise more engaging, and references to previous films are organically integrated, giving the story a layer of familiarity, plus adding a closer feeling of threat. Nevertheless, the tale rehashes well-known plot beats, the comedy doesn’t always hit, while characters stay underdeveloped. Dialogues are shallow, mostly used as expository dumps. The camera uses vivid movement, adding a creative note to the slaughter scenes. The effects are hit or miss, specifically when it comes to the computer-generated visuals. In contrast, he practicals look much better, adding realism to the blood splatter. As such, Final Destination: Bloodlines is an alright entry in the franchise, though nothing spectacular. I’ll give it a “just above average” 6.0 out of 10. 

So, what did you think of Final Destination: Bloodlines? Did you see it yet? Are you planning to? Do you agree with what I said? Let me know in the comments, & as always, thank you for reading!