FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is a funny, bloody send-off to Tony Todd

“I intend to enjoy the time I have left, and I suggest you do the same. Life is precious. Enjoy every single second. You never know when... Good luck.” 

This weekend saw the release of FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES, a blood-soaked and darkly funny revitalization of WB and New Line’s “Final Destination” franchise which has been on ice since the early 2010s. 

BLOODLINES, which opened to a franchise-best $50+ million box office haul, earned rave reviews as well as being a box office smash, and for good reason: it’s and insanely fun, funny, and well-directed time at the movies that is sure to make you drive extra carefully on the way home afterwards. 

BLOODLINES also, fittingly, works as an emotional final send-off to franchise player and horror-icon Tony Todd, who passed away last year. 

The film follows Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), a college student who is haunted by nightmares of the disastrous collapse of a space-needle type restaurant in 1968 which she sees through the eyes of her grandmother Iris (Brec Bassinger, in the flashback). 

Stefani returns home, desperate for answers, and seeks out Iris against the judgement of her family. Iris, now played by Gabrielle Rose, lives in a fortified compound in up-state New York, literally hiding from death. 

Death, Iris tells Stefani, doesn’t like it when his plans are messed with. Since her premonition in 1968 where Iris evacuated the tower, there are generations and entire bloodlines which were never supposed to survive- all the people that were supposed to die in the tower. 

Now, Death has found Iris, and his work can begin again. 

From the jump, BLOODLINES’ Skyview Tower sequence is nothing short of brilliant and that momentum carries the film which swaps the series’ thriller-suspense nature for a more horror-comedy route under the direction of Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein and writer Guy Busik who audiences may know from penning the new SCREAM films as well as last year’s incredible ABIGAIL. 

While BLOODLINES is certainly more funny than its’ predecessors, it is no less gory and creative. There are some insane scenarios here that play out with crowd-pleasing precision from the blockbuster opening through tense situations at a tattoo parlor, a garbage truck, a hospital, and more.

The performances, also, are great as well. We’ve come a long way from the 2000’s trend of sticking pretty people infront of a camera to be killed with little-to-no acting chops. Here, the entire cast is “in on it”, and somehow give turns that are both cheeky and genuine. 

BLOODLINES greatest feature, of course, is the surprisingly heartfelt moment of paying tribute to the late Tony Todd, a Scream King who has stayed with the series from the first installment as well as his time in other iconic roles such as the Candyman. 

For fans of Final Destination, there’s plenty to love here. For audiences who might not have grown up with these films, BLOODLINES is the perfect entry point. 

A definite must-see.