Summary

• Final Destination 5's shocking twist revived the franchise, with a prequel reveal tying the series together.
• The movie introduced new death rules, CGI effects, and lower-rated adult characters, but still fell short.
• Final Destination 6 promises a fresh start, with a reimagined premise and Tony Todd's return, bringing hope for the franchise.

With one of the Final Destination contains some of the most ridiculous deaths, providing a unique take on the horror genre through its lack of a physical villain and heavy focus on the inescapability of fate.

Each installment in the horror franchise is driven by different characters trying to use Final Destination’s death rules to cheat their inevitable fate, with new rules being added over time. Final Destination 5 established a different approach to the usual formula by introducing an interesting death rule which set it apart from other films. As Final Destination 5 was trying to recover the franchise from the disappointing reception of The Final Destination (the fourth and supposed last Final Destination movie), it is no surprise that the fifth horror movie entry also introduced a shocking twist to win audiences over.

Final Destination 5’s Timeline Twist Made The Movie Better In Hindsight

Final Destination 5’s Ending Redeems The Movie

Final Destination 5 featured a timeline twist which, in hindsight, made the movie better. At the end of Final Destination 5, Sam and Molly, who have managed to escape death for two extra weeks, notice a fight between some high school students as they board a plane to Paris. In a surprising development, the students are revealed to be Carter Horton and Alex Browning, making the flight they are boarding, Volée Airlines Flight 180 from the first Final Destination. This means that Final Destination 5, which fans thought to be a sequel, is actually a prequel to the whole franchise.

Had they not included the shocking timeline twist in Final Destination 5, the movie may have followed The Final Destination’s disappointing fate.

Ultimately, Final Destination 5’s big reveal made the movie much more enjoyable as the rest of the film was fairly standard. Despite Final Destination 5 having the second-highest kill count, a new death rule, and the best CGI, it mostly follows the usual formula and was marketed as the final film, leading people to expect more of the same. Had they not included the shocking timeline twist in Final Destination 5, the movie may have followed The Final Destination’s disappointing fate. Therefore, when the ending introduced one of the best horror movie plot twists, it revitalized the movie.

Final Destination 5’s Ending Was Great, But The Movie Was Disappointing

There Is A Final Destination Burnout

While Final Destination 5’s ending was great, the overall film was disappointing. Final Destination 5 follows a group of co-workers who defy their fated death in a bridge collapse and spend the rest of the movie trying not to die. Tony Todd returns as William Bludworth in this movie for the first time since Final Destination 2, presenting a new (or old, depending on how it is viewed) death rule; death can be cheated by taking someone else’s life. The setup makes the movie stand out from previous Final Destination films as it introduces a moral debate for the characters.

However, despite the new death rule, timeline twist and use of adult characters, as opposed to the usual teen protagonists, Final Destination 5 has a 53% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the second-lowest rated Final Destination movie, after The Final Destination. Audiences complained that Final Destination 5 was rather predictable up until the ending, the characters were underdeveloped, and that some of the deaths overly relied on CGI, making them look cheap. Therefore, it appears that the Final Destination franchise may need a different story in Final Destination 6’s reboot, in order to rectify the fifth film’s reputation.

Final Destination Going Full Circle Set The Stage For A Reboot

Bloodlines Will Reimagine The Franchise

Final Destination 5’s timeline twist sent the franchise full circle by tying it up with the original film, setting the stage for a reboot. As a result of Final Destination 5 being a surprise prequel, it wrapped the franchise up quite nicely. Therefore, when Final Destination 6 was confirmed, audiences were skeptical about how well the next movie might do considering the fatigue felt in the previous two films. However, after a 12-year hiatus, the Final Destination franchise may experience a bit more success, especially with Freaks co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein set to direct Final Destination 6.

Freaks is a sci-fi thriller which follows a 7-year-old girl who leaves home for the first time after being hidden away by her father.

Although Final Destination 6 has been called a reboot, it is being treated as a “reimagining” for the Final Destination franchise. Creator Jeffrey Reddick has explained that the premise of Final Destination 6 will be different, steering away from the original formula, which is a good idea considering it has become overused. The cast has been announced, with Tony Todd returning as Bludworth, who will be a key part of the movie. Bludworth was the expert on death’s rules in Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5. Hopefully, the sixth installment will finally reveal his mysterious backstory.