There's no denying the power of a fan favourite franchise that lives rent-free in audiences' minds, and to dole out a sixth installment 10 years after the last one offers a tall, deadly order. Yet, Final Destination Bloodlines not only maintains the DNA of the beloved franchise but adds a fresh spin and lots more blood to adapt to today's generation.
The film opens with a premonition as Iris (Brec Bassinger) goes on a date with Paul Campbell (Max Lloyd-Jones) at an extremely elevated skyscraper restaurant filled with people dancing. When it all begins to fall apart as death comes calling, Iris saves many lives that day. The catch: the premonition is a current daydream for Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), Iris's granddaughter.
In order to stop dreaming about her grandmother, she goes to see her even after Stefani's family tells her to stay away from Iris. With the help of her grandmother, Stefani soon learns that because Iris escaped death 50 years ago, all generations of families who shouldn't exist are being slowly wiped away.
The hallmark of this cult classic has always been about displaying smart and creative kills; the goriest ones are the ones many will still remember. Bloodlines pays tribute to the deadly and iconic scene from Final Destination 2 with a truck hauling logs on a highway in a cheeky way, causing OG fans to cheer in the theatre when a similar truck appeared on screen. The film nods to many of its predecessors, honouring the past while adding new scary death traps in the most mundane locations — hospitals, tattoo parlours, backyard BBQs, etc.; a well-executed and stand-out death scene involving an MRI machine will haunt many. Bloodlines is aware of the importance of key set pieces and keeps building suspense for viewers on the edge of their seats as they yell and scream at their screens.
When something as morbid as death is the theme of the film, especially in a family, humour becomes key to balance it out and create an entertaining watch. The film stays true to the twisted sense of humour that's carved into the franchise, with Richard Harmon as Erik, one of Stefani's cousins, bringing the true comic relief.
The truly eerie yet heartfelt moment is the return of Tony Todd as William Bludworth, the only consistent character throughout the franchise. The actor passed away in November and knew Bloodlines would be his cinematic swan song, and his appearance hits like a truck.
Bloodlines offers a wild and over-the-top return to form, some plot holes and questionable CGI notwithstanding. Not the best in the franchise, yet the film is a surprisingly fun entry given the extremely disappointing predecessor film, Final Destination 5.