You simply can’t cheat death and walk away without consequences. The Final Destination franchise started life as a spec script for the popular X-Files tv series. Even though an episode was never developed, the concept was later adapted into the first movie that was released in 2000 and spawned four sequels. The movies detail events in which individuals avoided a horrific accident only to learn that they interfered with the Death’s design and because of their actions, death is coming for them. Essentially, their fate was to die in the very accident that they escaped from. An intriguing idea no doubt, and one that impacted horror fans. With the latest film, Final Destination 5 releasing in 2011, the series hasn’t seen anything new produced. That was until Jeffrey Riddick, the series creator, announced that a sixth film had been confirmed in the works before the Covid-19 Pandemic. The film will focus on how emergency responders become targeted by Death concerning their dangerous job. A release date is unconfirmed at this point.
With that being said, let’s revisit the franchise that made us paranoid about leaving our house and had us wondering if our number had been called when Death isn’t far away. Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t seen these movies. For everyone else, let’s return to the glorious days when Death was coming for us!
Alex’s Premonition – Final Destination
Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) and his classmates are traveling to Paris as part of a school trip. Alex is a bit nervous about flying and is doing everything he can to control his nerves when he boards his flight. Once the plane takes off, something bad starts to happen. The plane violently shakes, an explosion opens up the plane’s hull taking some of the passengers with them and ultimately the plane explodes killing everyone onboard. It’s a terrifying sequence that later reveals that nothing has happened. Alex awakes and realizes it was all a dream. He’s sweaty, scared, and begins to see that everything that occurred before taking off is happening again. Alex begs to be removed from the plane for fear that the plane will explode and after a fight occurs, Alex and several of his classmates are removed from the plane. Sometime later, the plane is cleared for takeoff while Alex and his classmates are forced to stay behind. The dream that felt so real to Alex is proven true when the plane does explode proving his fears correct and revealing to the audience that his premonition is only the beginning of his problems. This is one of the most standout scenes in the franchise and is one that you will never see play on the inflight movie.
Freeway Pileup – Final Destination 2
Driving is a fairly easy thing to do. You have both hands on the steering wheel and your eyes are looking forward. Should be easy enough. Well, at the beginning of Final Destination 2, Kimberly (A.J. Cook) has a premonition about her being involved in a massive pileup that results in her death as well as everyone else on the road. After a logging truck loses its cargo, the logs themselves act as missiles and wreak havoc on Route 23 killing everyone in its path. The disaster sequence itself is a bit over-the-top but is still a nerve-shredding moment. Kimberly sees this happen before it does and makes a decision to block traffic to avoid the incoming catastrophe. Her actions prove to save her life as well as the people who are blocked by her car but unfortunately her friends that she left behind aren’t so lucky. This particular sequence was shocking to see in theaters and even after all these years, every time we see a logging truck, we always make sure to either speed past it or move out of its way!
Tanning Bed Debacle – Final Destination 3
Young ladies Ashley (Chelan Simmons) and Ashlyn (Crystal Lowe) should’ve paid closer attention to their actions. Death tends to revel in the fact that his victims are clueless to see where the danger lies. After surviving the roller coaster derailment, best friends Ashley and Ashlyn go about their lives as if nothing happened. They decide to spend their time at a tanning salon to relax. After making a crucial error that they fail to notice, both women enter the tanning beds and decide to take a chill pill. Although relaxation was the goal here, Death is ready to turn up the heat. In what is the most unique kill of the franchise, both women become trapped in their tanning beds and are scared to the point that they are unable to figure out how to survive their ordeal. Instead of coming out with a slightly darker complexion, the ladies are burnt to a crisp after their tanning malfunction in ways that make us leery about visiting said tanning salons again.
Candice’s Death – Final Destination 5
Gymnastics is not an easy sport. It requires focus, determination, and the belief that you’ll be able to catch yourself before you slip. Final Destination 5 is vastly different from the others sequels for the simple fact that suspense is back in form and we, the audience, are wondering just how these new potential victims are going to get knocked off. In this scene, Candice (Ellen Wroe) is practicing her gym routine on the balance beam and uneven bars. When a screw is knocked loose from an air vent, the screw falls onto the balance beam that Candice is working on. The screw is just inches away and any impact with her feet will surely be painful. Although the crisis is averted by Candice narrowly missing the screw, she ventures towards the uneven bars to practice. When another gymnast practices on the balance beam, she steps onto the screw, which in turn, causes a deadly reaction that results in the shocking death of Candice. This sequence didn’t have to rely on gory effects for shock value. Instead seeing the screw and hoping that Candice doesn’t step on it fooled us into thinking that she was safe. Boy, were we wrong about that!
Twist Ending – Final Destination 5
After four films, fans had already become familiar with the formula that Final Destination was working with. A lot of young people survive one ordeal only to be thrust into a much worse situation. Who will live and who will die? Final Destination 5 was no different, albeit the inclusion of more suspense over gore, although the ending changed the game. There was a scene earlier in which the characters meet William Bludworth (Tony Todd), the man who owns the funeral home that sees the many victims of Death’s design. He informed Alex Browning from the first film of the rules and seeing him again was a welcome treat. With his return, he informs the new cast that he’s seen this before and tells them the rules once again. By the ending of the film, our thoughts were altered when it revealed that Final Destination 5 is a prequel to this entire franchise. That’s right, the fifth installment was the beginning all along. Knowing this, we realize that the final survivors are truly doomed when they board Flight 180, the very plane that Alex Browning was removed from when his premonition saw the plane’s fate in a fiery dream. It was a jaw-dropping moment and one that left us unnerved and for the first time, we see Death win once and for all.
What are your favorite moments from the Final Destination franchise? Which part made you the most paranoid? Are you excited about the sixth entry? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!