Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 7/22/2025
Rating: R
Film Grade: B+
The Story: Stephanie is a college student whose grades are suffering. While a straight A student in high school, recurring dreams are robbing her of nighttime sleep, leading her to drowse off in class and unable to concentrate on her studies.
Those visions lead her back home, where she’s about to uncover an unknown part of her family’s past, a past that has cursed her lineage. One that she must confront if she's going to have a future.
My Take: We had enjoyed the original Final Destination movies, but dropped out of the series at some point, as they had become a bit rote and predictable. Still, I had heard general good buzz about this latest entry so decided to give it a chance. Boy, am I glad, since this is a true return to form for the series, giving it a fresh update for this decade while retaining what made the originals so engrossing.
From the opening sequence, the movie oozes unease and trepidation, as we experience a series of events that will make anyone suffering from acrophobia squirm in their seats. The film builds on general fears and worries throughout. By focusing on specific objects, it does an exemplary job of presenting potential dangers and having them either lead to a series of deadly events or not develop into anything at all. The result is that we share in the characters’ fears and paranoia, knowing that fate might be in plain sight, ready to end a life, with each moment seeped with apprehension and dread. Into that tapestry we get some bits of well-placed character humor to relieve a bit of that tension, while occasionally setting up the next event.
The movie explores the concepts of fate and destiny. There’s a segment featuring the late Tony Todd, reprising his role in the earlier movies, that adds a poignant touch to the series, and bringing home its deepest theme. That said, this is a thriller/horror film, so these take a back seat to the characters and plot.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana plays Stephanie as a skeptic who is confronted with a destiny that she could never have imagined. She gives the character a good arc as she uncovers what could be her family’s fate. The movie’s cadre of cousins are played by young actors who give all of their characters distinctive traits and personalities, each looking at the potential impending doom in a different way, while also occasionally showing the attitude of invulnerability that so many of us have somehow managed to survive.
The movie isn’t without flaws, but they’re easy enough to overlook while getting caught up in the dire nature of the events as they unfold. There’s one particular sequence in a hospital that misses a critical factor, but nonconsequential; it just could have been handled in a slightly different way so as not to stand out. In a sad, but timely coincidence, there was a recent news story about a very similar incident that mirrors one of the dramatic deaths, showing how danger can really lurk around the most ordinary situations.
The special effects and makeup work are top notch, complementing the imaginative kills inherent in the story. It’s surprisingly gory in spots, but the transitions are swift, focusing on the visceral impact of the swift events rather than dwelling on the grizzly visuals.
Visuals: The digital picture is crisp and clear. While the overall look is gloomy, matching the feel of the film, darks are well delineated, never looking muddy or indistinct. Some of the movie was shot on the volume, and it was put to good use, creating an environment that would have cost millions to replicate. Colors are rich and realistic when appropriate. This is a fantastic video presentation.
Audio: The Dolby Atmos mix is a real winner, easily passing my personal bird test, we hear them used in various spots in the film. Wide and tops are used for much more than the musical, with environmental and other discreet effects placed throughout the movie. It also doesn't neglect the subs, which are given the chance to throw their weight around in a number of spots. Dialog is easily understandable throughout.
The score is provided by Tim Wynn, whose previous works were typically for TV productions and video games, but he’s created nicely complementary pieces for this movie, echoing and enforcing the feelings of mystery and dread. There are some rock tunes used for flavor, helping pinpoint the era.
All in all, this is a highly active and immersive mix, reminding me how much we love our home theater.
Special Features: The making of featurettes are worth watching if you're interested in how some of the effects were pulled off in the movie. One is surprisingly based on a practical effect, later enhanced with CGI that is particularly gruesome. The Bludworth segment is a fitting and touching tribute to Tony Todd and his character. The audio commentary by codirectors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein is a fascinating revelation of what goes into making a solid horror movie. They provide tons of insight into the planning and design of the movie, emphasizing how the visual design work is repeated throughout the movie, reenforcing the themes they’re presenting. It’s so easy to write off these movies as simplistic entertainment, and they do an excellent job of countering that perception with just how aware they were of what went into its creation.
- Death Becomes Them: On the Set of “Final Destination Bloodlines” – featurette
- The Many Deaths of Bloodlines – featurette
- The Legacy of Bludworth – featurette
- Commentary by the film’s directors Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky
Final Verdict: This was a fun ride from beginning to end. The Rube Goldberg-esque nature of deadly events were innovative, keeping us on our toes throughout the movie, emphasizing just how quickly life can slip away in the most unusual ways. My wife went into it with great skepticism but ended up liking it just as much as I did.
This is an excellent example of how to do a franchise right as opposed to just cranking out yet another title. Highly recommended for anyone that has enjoyed the earlier entries, but also for novices. While prior knowledge of the series isn’t needed, fans will recognize the various call backs that are referenced, but the movie is not dependent on them and can easily stand on its own.
Hats off to Warner Brothers for revitalizing a dormant franchise in a fresh and fun way!
This review has been edited to remove an erroneous observation about casting, which had no impact on film's grade. The trailer, and comment about it have also been added.
Prescient Quote: “Is that a good thing?”
The first minute of the trailer is safe to watch without spoiling much, but do not go past that if you want to preserve some of the surprises.
My Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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