Star Cast: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Brec Bassinger, Gabrielle Rose, Teo Briones
Director: Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein
Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Review Synopsis:
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is the story of a young woman trying to save her family. Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger) and her fiancé, Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) attend the opening ceremony of the Sky View Tower. It is the tallest structure in the region, offers a 360-degree view and also comprises a restaurant-cum-bar. Due to a series of mishaps, the tower collapses, killing everyone. More than fifty years have passed. A college student, Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), gets visions of the Sky View Tower incident on a daily basis, affecting her studies. She realizes that there is a family connection to it, as Iris happened to be the name of her mother’s mother. But getting information about her is next to impossible. Stefani’s mother, Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt), abandoned her, brother Charlie (Teo Briones) and hubby Marty (Tinpo Lee) when Stefani was a child. Marty refuses to speak about Iris. Hence, she approaches her maternal uncle Howard (Alex Zahara) and his family – wife Brenda (April Telek), sons Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) and Erik (Richard Harmon) and daughter Julia (Anna Lore). This is when she learns a disturbing fact about Iris and later, she concludes that Death is approaching her and her family. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Story Review:
Jon Watts, Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor’s story is fantastic. Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor’s screenplay is creative and thankfully, the narrative structure is different from the other FINAL DESTINATION films. The dialogues add to the tension and also the laughter.
Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s direction is worthy. All the previous installments of the series followed a set pattern and hence, it became repetitive as one knew where the film was heading. FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES breaks that pattern. One would be intrigued to know where the film is going and some scenes would give viewers a jolt. This time, the humour quotient is also quite prominent and adds to the madness. What is also striking in this film is that the effects and the eeriness are top-class. The manner in which the Sky View Tower sequence has been filmed is terrifying. The tattoo shop and hospital scenes are also memorable.
On the flipside, the concept of how Death is coming after people and their offspring is a bit far-fetched and convenient. It is interesting how a character cheated death for years, but not much information was given on the same as to how she did it exactly. Although the film is largely unpredictable, the final scene doesn’t have any element of surprise. It makes for a fun watch; however, those who have seen the previous parts will know where the film is going at this point.
Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Review Performances:
Kaitlyn Santa Juana plays the leading role with conviction. Brec Bassinger, in a supporting role, leaves the maximum impact. Special mention should also go to Gabrielle Rose (also plays the role of Iris). Teo Briones delivers a fine performance. Richard Harmon steals the show; his scenes in the second half are very exciting and will be lapped up by the audience. Alex Zahara is lovely, especially in the barbecue scene. Owen Patrick Joyner, meanwhile, is impressive because of the hospital scene and the sequence before that. Max Lloyd-Jones, Tinpo Lee, Rya Kihlstedt and Anna Lore are decent. The late Tony Todd (William Bludworth) is damn good while Jayden Oniah (little kid in the Sky View Tower) and Travis Turner (elevator operator) do well. Lastly, Noah Bromley (Penny kid) rocks the show and his scene will get a roaring response in cinemas.
Final Destination Bloodlines movie music and other technical aspects:
Tim Wynn’s music is appropriate. Christian Sebaldt’s cinematography is spectacular and enhances the tension levels. Rachel O’Toole’s production design is top-notch. Michelle Hunter’s costumes are realistic while in the flashback scenes, they are reminiscent of the bygone era. Sabrina Pitre’s editing is a bit slow-paced in some scenes and this is also the longest film of the series. Yet, there are no complaints as the scenes are well stitched together.
Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is a ‘killer’ entertainer and takes the series to another level. At the box office, it is expected to start slow and would also face the heat from the bigger release of the week – MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING. But it has the potential to grow and have a long, steady run at the box office. With its creatively gruesome deaths and shock-a-minute storytelling, this is the kind of edge-of-the-seat experience best enjoyed in a packed cinema — surrounded by gasps, shrieks, and wild applause from the audience!