Final Destination: Bloodlines
Terrifying Inevitability of Death
Movie Review: Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5 stars)
The Final Destination franchise has always thrived on one core concept: the terrifying inevitability of death. But with Final Destination: Bloodlines, director and screenwriter Zach Lipovsky breathes fresh life—and deeper emotional stakes—into the long-running series. This installment doesn't just lean into the franchise’s iconic death-defying sequences; it roots them in a compelling mystery and a chilling family legacy that ups the ante in all the right ways.
At the heart of the film is Stefanie, played with quiet strength and growing dread by Brenna Llewellyn, a college student haunted by vivid, recurring nightmares. Her journey back home to uncover the truth about her family’s past leads to a tightly woven narrative that’s equal parts psychological thriller and supernatural horror. This isn't just about escaping death—it's about understanding it, facing it, and perhaps even defying it.
Teo Briones and Gabrielle Rose add rich emotional texture to the ensemble, while Alex Zahara brings a layered performance that keeps you guessing about his character’s true intentions. Lipovsky smartly weaves generational trauma into the plot, giving the film’s title—Bloodlines—a chilling double meaning. It’s no longer just death that’s chasing our characters, but fate itself, rooted deep in their ancestry.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Final Destination film without the elaborately staged death scenes, and Bloodlines delivers in spades. Each set piece is brutal, shocking, and creatively orchestrated, but with a narrative purpose that makes them feel more earned and less like spectacle for spectacle’s sake.
While longtime fans will appreciate the nods to the franchise’s legacy, newcomers can jump in without prior knowledge and still enjoy the ride. The film’s tight pacing, unsettling atmosphere, and clever twists make it a standout horror entry for 2025.
Final Destination: Bloodlines proves that even two decades in, the franchise still has blood in its veins—and this time, it runs deeper than ever.