It’s surprising that a horror series can still feel fresh in its sixth entry, yet Final Destination: Bloodlines pulls it off. Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein blend the franchise’s signature elaborate death scenes with a story that feels deeper, more personal and even surprisingly emotional. This instalment builds its scares on family ties and haunting premonitions as much as on gore, making it the most rounded entry in the series so far.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana excels as Stefani Reyes, a college student caught in a curse handed down from her grandmother’s unrealised vision of a restaurant collapse in 1969. The film wastes no time connecting past and present, plunging you into Stefani’s nightmares and then into her desperate attempt to understand what is coming for her family. You are not merely watching teens try to cheat Death, you are witnessing a family’s bonds strain and crack under the weight of fate.
The balance between dread and dark humour remains intact and the death sequences have never been more inventive. Just when you think you have guessed what will happen next, the film surprises you with a twist that keeps you on edge. Each gruesome moment feels essential to the story rather than a simple shock tactic.
Bloodlines also honours its own mythology without getting bogged down in exposition. Tony Todd returns as William Bludworth, bringing gravitas and clarity to the rules of Death’s design. His scenes explain the mechanics of the curse while reinforcing the emotional stakes. The tension between Stefani and her estranged mother adds a real heart to the supernatural chaos.
The supporting cast delivers solid performances. Teo Briones is warm and engaging as Charlie, Stefani’s younger brother. Richard Harmon captures the swagger and self‑doubt of his character, while Rya Kihlstedt conveys trauma and resilience as the siblings’ mother. Gabrielle Rose, as Iris, delivers one of the most haunting portrayals in the series, grounding the premonition that sets everything in motion.
Not everything lands perfectly. At just under two hours, the film’s middle section loses some momentum and a few lines of dialogue verge on cliché. Longtime fans may spot beats from earlier entries coming a mile off. Even so, the tension never fully relents and the final act delivers with renewed fervour.
What sets Bloodlines apart is the investment it builds in its characters. The kills remain memorably twisted, but you care about these people beyond the spectacle. You want them to survive and see their story through.
Final Destination: Bloodlines may not be flawless, yet it does not need to be. It is clever, brutal, often funny and at times unexpectedly moving. Few horror franchises can sustain this level of energy so far down the line. For fans it hits all the right notes and for newcomers it could be the perfect entry point. In cinemas now.
In Cinemas Now
And on Apple TV https://apple.co/3I4SIcY
