After a 14-year hiatus, the Final Destination franchise has returned for a sixth instalment with Bloodlines. Cinemas everywhere are packed with two sorts of people: those who bask in the brutality of the kills and those who cower behind their hands instead. Whichever type of viewer you are, here are some of the standout deaths across the shocking sextet.
10th, Keeping an eye out (Final Destination 5)
A true Final Destination death will have you wanting to curl up into a ball and avoid the perils of everyday life and the fifth film proves this to be the case once again. Trips to the dentist, the optician and the doctor seem innocent enough but this franchise has the capabilities to make you second guess everything.
It is a fall from a height that finishes off Olivia (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) but not before the surgeon steps out of the room for a while, in which period the laser machine sears into her eye, a truly cringe-worthy and painful experience.
9th, Airbag-induced head trauma (Final Destination 2)
Foreshadowing incidents for long periods of time only for something completely different to be the deathly factor is the bread and butter of the Final Destination franchise, the bait-and-switch approach just as common as following through with an expected kill.
We breathe a collective sigh of relief in the second film when a car crash brings one character within inches of death, only for the resulting airbag impact to deliver the final blow.
8th, Pool pipe problems (The Final Destination)
Some Final Destination kills are about instant impact whilst others are slow and painful, an uncomfortable squirming nature setting in. This case is undoubtedly the latter when the arrogant jock archetype thinks the rules of the horror genre don’t apply to him, only for a pool filter to suggest otherwise.
His frantic wrestling with fate in the swimming pool just delays the inevitable, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat. When he gives into the forces at play, being sucked into the pipes backside-first adds insult to injury. The blood that comes spurting out of the other end is quite something too.
7th, It’s raining tyres (The Final Destination)
Whilst it may be many people’s least favourite of the films, The Final Destination does bring one of the better premonition scenes to the table. The events at the NASCAR track are full of gruesome would-be kills, and just when you think everyone is actually safe, a rogue tire makes you jump out of your skin.
As is the case with Scream and other horror franchises, there are certain genre tropes to be followed and beats to hit along the way in the Final Destination films. Subverting those expectations is where the difference can be made, and so one of the main characters dying so early on is the perfect way to keep the audience on their toes.
6th, Extreme gymnastics (Final Destination 5)
Final Destination 5 delivers the introduction of the concept of a wider universe, heightened exposition being used to connect the various films. This focus on finer detail could easily come at the expense of the dramatic kills, but there is still one that will sear itself into your brain whether you like it or not.
Here, the camera zeroes in on a balance beam, with the gymnast atop it highly likely to step on a miscellaneous thumbtack. She escapes this bloody outcome only for a bone-breaking miscalculation to bring a swift end to her life.
5th, Over-exerting yourself in the gym (Final Destination 3)
Sticking with a similar field of play, Final Destination 3’s second-best kill harps back to the misleading foreshadowing format, another character moving around a space full of potential dangers with the egotistical self-belief that he won’t be the one dying next.
In the weight room, we are led along one obvious path of fate. But it’s too obvious, and the shock factor catches everyone—on both sides of the screen—off guard.
4th, Motorway massacre (Final Destination 2)
With maximum devastation the primary goal, a lot of the finer details of our favourite kills can often be lost. That isn’t the case for the opening to the second Final Destination film though; in fact, it could easily be argued that the events on the motorway are the most iconic in the whole franchise.
People all over the world are now extra cautious when driving near timber trucks, painfully conscious of the sheer devastation that could take place if a log slips free. From the flying wood to the explosions to the out-of-control motorbike, the multi-car pile-up is a true standout moment of the franchise.
3rd, MRI machine magnetism (Final Destination Bloodlines)
Recency bias may play a part here, but this year’s release, Final Destination Bloodlines, earns a spot on the podium when it comes to the most memorable deaths. The narrative is so focused on the attempts to force Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) into an allergic reaction from peanut butter that his brother Erik (Richard Harmon) must be completely safe from danger… right?
Wrong. Erik’s obvious piercings are sucked out of his body by the power of a rampant MRI machine, the comedic factor ramping up when they are ripped out of his nipples and genitals too. Moments later, it’s not an allergic reaction that gets Bobby in the end, but rather an errant vending machine spring whirring its way into his head.
2nd, The irony of a fire escape (Final Destination 2)
Fire escapes are a very American concept, with every other show or film set in New York hosting deep and meaningful conversations on one of them. To evade a literal fire in the flat only for your own fire escape to finish you off is a brutal twist of fate that epitomises the Final Destination franchise.
As is the case with the airbag-induced head trauma, the fire escape ladder slides to within breathing distance from the victim’s face and, just as he thinks he has been spared, it shoots down the rest of the way—directly through his eye.
1st, Getting your tan on (Final Destination 3)
Whilst it isn’t quite the best film of the franchise, it is safe to say that Final Destination 3 boasts the best and most iconic kill. In many ways it is sleazy and reminiscent of early 2000s horror as a whole, but as an out-and-out death, it has still stood the test of time.Who knew that getting burned alive in a tanning bed was a viable way to die? Whilst it may remain highly unlikely in reality, this film has given many people the fear that it could. The drawn-out nature of this double death further compounds the devastation on show, making it truly difficult to watch at times. And isn’t that what Final Destination is all about?
Words by Jamie Rooke
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