Final Destination 5

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Kate

So they got in some fresh creative blood and managed to come up with a much better finale for the series. This one and part two are a toss up as to my favourites. The opening disaster in this film is really ambitious and they manage to pull it off with great panache. Again, a reliance on digital effects but the digital cinematography and the vfx are leaps and bounds ahead of the last film.

This is exemplified in the opening sequence, which is pretty much exactly the same idea as the titles in part 4, going through all the deaths of the series so far, but instead of doing it all with basic cg graphics they actually bother to make it practically. And it looks amazing in 3D.

What also helps is the characters and drama in this film work so much better as well. This one is probably the most drama filled since the first film. That's thanks in large part to a rule they bring up in this instalment which was never discussed previously but makes this turn into a slasher film for a good 15 minutes at the end. It's a fun idea to explore and I wish there were more films to play around with this idea.

The gymnastics scene in this film is, I believe, the most suspenseful in the whole series. A relatively simple set up but one that elicits such a primal response. This one also has some later eye surgery that is pretty fun. They literally made it the poster for the film. Guaranteed squirmy times.

Its filled with easter eggs and references to the other instalments and the way it ultimately ties in is such a fun reveal.

I really love this series. Such gleeful carnage and so unique in the teen horror landscape, where the killer is ultimately some really bad and unpredictable accidents. And this is such a high note to go out on too. Even so, I really want them to make more. So much more you could explore here. Anyway, great fun to rematch this series.