Raissa Santos

In Final Destination, the enemy is death itself. Some might cheat it, but death almost always finds unconventional and elaborate ways to catch up with them. After 14 years, the mischievous franchise is back — and death is greedier than ever.

Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein go above and beyond to elevate the horror franchise in Bloodlines. For the first time, death is after an entire family. Iris (Gabrielle Rose) had the first-ever premonition years ago, escaping her fate. Now, death has finally caught up with her and is coming for her entire family — since, in its eyes, they shouldn’t exist. Her granddaughter Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) searches for ways to understand how death works and tries to save her family.

Lipovsky says breaking the traditional premonition cycle in the fifth film brings a fresh aspect to the franchise. “Even if you’re a massive fan of the franchise, you didn’t know where things were going,” he said.

The deaths in Bloodlines stay true to the franchise. Stein says that from the start, the thinking behind the kills was: “What can ruin it for people?” He also says the goal has always been to create a movie people would watch through their fingertips — but while smiling. Ordinary objects become fatal in death’s hands, making viewers think of the film in their daily lives.

Lipovsky has a theory about why audiences enjoy watching the horrific death scenes. “We all know we’re going to die, and we all know our time will come. It’s fair that death will come for us and we will die. And these characters cheat that. So then it’s kind of fair that death comes for them,” he said.

The movie also addresses fan theories about William Bludworth, played by Tony Todd. The mysterious mortician has appeared since the first Final Destination, offering cryptic insights into death and its ways. Todd was ill while Bloodlines was in development and died last year.

“We knew for a while that he was sick, so it was developed with that in mind — with him,” said Lipovsky. The directors were concerned Todd might opt out of Bloodlines, but he was eager to return and give Bludworth a final send-off.

“Don’t write me out of this one movie. I have to do this!” Todd said.

Bludworth’s final lines in the film aren’t scripted — they’re Todd’s own words about life and death. The directors let him speak from the heart.

Final Destination: Bloodlines is aiming to gross between US$35 million and US$45 million in North American theatres. In Canada, the movie premieres today.