FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES
Starring: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Ryan Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Alex Zahara, April Amber Telek, Tinpo Lee, Gabrielle Rose, Brec Bassinger, Max Lloyd-Jones, and Tony Todd
Directors: Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein
NICK
I've always been high on the Final Destination franchise, so that should carry weight when I say Bloodlines is its best film yet. It takes everything beloved about the previous films and builds on it. There are call-backs, but they aren't in your face. It's campy, but it’s intentional. Plus, as expected, there are some creative and gory deaths. Bloodlines provides plenty of laughs, scares, and yet another memorable opening sequence. Sprinkle in a touching final appearance from the late Tony Todd, and you have the recipe for my favourite trip to the theatres so far this year.
AMARÚ
Considering my day job, Bloodlines has a supremely satisfying death in its gruesome opening, and if you can settle into the (hopefully) purposefully pulpy performances, the remaining 90 minutes stack one satisfying sequence after another. The camp would be tough in a different franchise, but directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein understood their sandbox. As the film gains momentum, the cheekiness becomes more natural because the kills are intensely entertaining and thrilling, the lore building is interesting, and the music pairings are awesome. Combine that with a touching sendoff for Tony Todd, and you have a bloody good time.
KATIE
The sixth instalment in the Final Destination franchise, Bloodlines, is fresh and exciting, especially with the magnificent opening act. Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein ensure every aspect of that scene contributes to masterfully built tension and suspense, knowingly taking their time to keep the audience on the edge of their seats for as long as possible. The deaths are creative and grisly with slapstick charm, and the time it spends exploring the family drama and character dynamics means I actually cared about what happened to them. Plus, a powerful performance from the late Tony Todd is incredibly moving and impactful.
ADRIANO
The sicko joy of seeing people getting murdered by anything remotely sharp in the most creative and mean-spirited ways imaginable can't be overstated in the Final Destination franchise, but Bloodlines might be the best one yet. It stays true to the cartoonish nature of its mayhem, but this time, it uses the rules of Death to its advantage… and not in that obnoxious “self-aware” way that films like this typically resort to. I don't even swear by these movies like others do, so if you're a fan of this franchise, it's just what the doctor ordered.
ROBERT
Fourteen years ago, Final Destination 5 took a storytelling risk, attempting to understand how the beginning informed the end. Now, Bloodlines is here to completely reconfigure what the beginning of the story is. From the opening scene, you are right back in the Rube Goldberg-esque mix of creative deaths and devastation borne from benign actions and insignificant flaws. Then, instead of resting on its laurels, the movie answers questions theorized on many a Reddit thread, even diving deep into how these situations can impact and undermine familial ties. Expect blood, gore, and a righteous sendoff for the man, Tony Todd.
BODE
It’s been 14 years (too long in my opinion) since the last Final Destination movie, but from the moment its sixth instalment, Bloodlines, kicks into gear, it’ll feel as if little time has passed. With a dose of self-awareness (but thankfully not too much of it), a thematic link to generational trauma, some fascinating manipulation of its digital aesthetic (particularly in its opening), and a touching sendoff for horror icon Tony Todd, new directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein deliver exactly what you expect: people dying in creatively horrifying ways. A sadistically fun time for old and new fans alike.
