Introduction
Basic movie information
Directed by: James Wong
Full name: Final Destination
Release date: March 17, 2000
What to expect: A suspenseful, gory thriller where death itself is the villain, picking off survivors in the most bizarre and inventive ways possible.
Additional information: Originally conceived as a rejected X-Files script, Final Destination launched an entire franchise based on the premise that you can’t cheat death, but not for long.
Budget: $23 million
Box office: $112.9 million
Initial thoughts
My wife and I have loved Final Destination for a long time, and now with Final Destination: Bloodlines in theaters, I’ve decided to go back and review each movie in the series! The first film has a special place in horror history, it’s not a traditional slasher, but it still delivers brutal and inventive kills that stick with you. There’s something oddly compelling about the idea that death has a plan and will bend reality itself to make it happen.
Enjoyment
Plot summary
The story begins with high school student Alex Browning, who has a premonition of a deadly plane crash. After panicking and getting several classmates off the plane before it explodes, he thinks he’s saved lives. But death isn’t so easily cheated. One by one, survivors begin to die in horrifying, seemingly accidental ways, and Alex realizes death is coming for them all.
Was the movie fun?
Yes, in a dark and twisted way. The movie keeps you constantly guessing how each death will unfold. It’s not if someone will die, but how, and that unpredictability is part of the fun.
Emotional impact
While the characters are not particularly deep, there’s still a palpable sense of dread. Watching someone try to survive while fate actively works against them is stressful, even if you know they probably won’t make it.
Rating for Enjoyment
After thinking about all the aspects this movie has to give for enjoyment, emotional impact, and other factors, I decided to give the enjoyment section of this movie review, a 7.5
Pacing and audience
Pacing of the movie
The pacing is steady, starting with the explosive plane sequence and keeping a tight rhythm from there. Each death is spaced out just enough to let the tension build, and the movie never drags or feels padded. It is well structured and engaging, with no real slow spots.
What audience is targeted?
Fans of horror and thrillers, especially those who enjoy movies with inventive death scenes. It’s also great for people who like supernatural horror without relying on ghosts or monsters.
Script and dialogue
The dialogue isn’t Shakespeare, but it gets the job done. There’s a mix of believable teen banter and ominous exposition, especially when Tony Todd shows up as the creepy mortician.
What message does this movie instill?
At its core, the movie reminds us that fate is unavoidable, and sometimes, the more we try to fight it, the worse it gets.
Rating
After some consideration, thinking over the dialogue and the scenes, I give the pacing and audience section a rating of 7.
Graphic style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The cinematography is clean, and the visual style is surprisingly strong for a horror movie of its time. There’s a clinical precision to how every kill is filmed, often using slow reveals or building tension through background details that make you second-guess what’s about to happen.
The practical effects still hold up well, and the Rube Goldberg-style deaths are choreographed with surprising finesse.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style of this movie a good rating. But after considering a lot, I decided to give it a 7.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the movie
The soundtrack is eerie and atmospheric, enhancing the sense of dread in quieter scenes. The use of silence or minimal ambient sound during build-ups makes the eventual chaos hit harder. Acting-wise, Devon Sawa does a solid job as the paranoid lead, and the supporting cast, including Ali Larter and Kerr Smith, gives decent, if not standout, performances. It is effective without being overbearing, it complements the slow-burn suspense.
Acting and lines
Not groundbreaking, but believable enough for the tone. Tony Todd’s brief appearance is unforgettable.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 6.5.
Personal experiences favorite scene
I loved most of the death scenes, they’re so unique and gruesome to watch. The tension is often worse than the kill itself, as the movie teases you with what might happen before something completely unexpected occurs. For such an old movie, the effects are better than you’d expect, and the creativity is off the charts. One thing I really admire: death itself is portrayed almost like a sentient force, one that waits until you’re comfortable, and then strikes. In later films, he even seems to speed things up just to make a point.
Rating
My own personal rating of this movie is an 8.
Last words
Pros
- Incredibly creative and memorable death sequences
- A unique horror premise that stands out
- Suspense builds in every scene leading up to each death
- Surprisingly effective practical effects
- Strong sense of dread throughout the film
- Efficient pacing with no major slow spots
- Interesting take on fate and inevitability
- Memorable supporting role by Tony Todd
Cons
- Some underdeveloped characters
- Dialogue can feel forced or awkward at times
- Acting isn’t consistent across the cast
Final Destination is a fun, creepy, and original horror film that has earned its cult status for a reason. It doesn’t rely on a killer with a knife, but rather on the universe itself becoming the executioner. The kills are the real stars of the show, over-the-top, shocking, and so complex they’re almost art. While it’s not a perfect film, it delivers exactly what it promises: dread, blood, and chaos.
Final Rating
7
Please let me know what you think of the Final Destination movie review in the comments!
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Once upon a time, when Sven and I were just teenagers (early adult years), we watched this movie for the first time while eating a pizza. Strange how you remember such little details.
This may be the 4th time we have watched the final destination movie, it’s a good one!
Really think the dialogue being forced was only to make certain thigns connect and keep the movie going. There were many parts with no momentum in the story or events.
Nice review, it really captured how scary and creative the whole idea of fate is. This movie really is a classic.
I really liked Final Destination sequel. Sure first one always will be best!
I never watch slashers because watching a movie jut because it’s super gory or scary seems kinda silly to me, they usually don’t have a good story and rely purely on ^ but a good review, seems like a good 2000s movie
I know those series of movies but honestly i must say i never watched any from start to finish, whole concept is not in my taste so i didnt liked it. I like inventive creative variable games with many methods, ways of eleminating “enemies” like Hitman stealth games but i guess this is something else.
I used to love final destination. It’s..I guess–a guilty pleasure. The visual from final destination bloodlines movie judging from the screenshot, looks like it comes out of a 90s movie
Horror movies are not usually my cup of tea, but this one sounds like it could be a fun watch!
Great review as always! 🙂
I don’t know if you can really call this a horror movie, but I liked the story. I would have given it about the same rating.
I know what kind of movie it is.
There are parts that seem interesting, but I’m just not good with this type of film and can’t help hesitating to watch it lol
horror… thriller…. aaaand I’m out XD
I don’t get why people watch stuff like this, but to each his own ^^ but this makes it hard for me to really comment on it… sounds like it has a decent and at least partially deserved fan base 🙂
I’ve actually seen one of those movies. Indeed interesting to have a horror movie without a killer or demon or something.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s an iconic film series in the comedy genre, and I was afraid it would end up like Scream (their last few films have been pretty bad… they focus on making money). I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m hoping for some pretty good special effects and some witty, yet absurd, deaths like the ones we’re used to!
I see you you tasted blood with the new movie and were hungry for more ^^. I think the characters and dialogs were never the stronges features of the franchise. you are right building up tension is soo crucial for horror movies. Was this really 25 years ago … oh boy I am growing old.
I don’t usually watch horror or gory movies because I don’t find them appealing and also given the age of the film I will probably not be likely to watch it in the future. however The premise of the movie is interesting, that you can only cheat death for so long but that it catches up with you.
I can say that theme of movie is quite interesting, but I never watched fully this movie. I only remember some parts. Soon there will be a new movie and perhaps its a time to watch Final Destinations movies.
I watched the recent one in theaters recently, and im sure this movie is like a solid 8/10. Do agree on many things though.
this movie is gonna reaffirm my trauma of the past FD movies xDD so gory haha
Final destination is a good pasttime. It’s interesting to see bloodlines use the same theme as final destination 1.
Watched part of the movies on TV and liked them, so will watch full movies some day. They are fun
Oh, I remember seeing this one! It was kind of disturbing, because you could tell they’d all die, and sometimes seeing them survive, only to get obliterated later, felt like that “death” just mocked with them lol.
I don’t remember the acting, but some characters, and a power line dropping on someone’s car. XD
I didn’t know that it was a rejected X-Files script. This is a fun info. But generally I don’t like gore-heavy movies. I did catch bits and pieces of the series while on the internet though.
Have to watch this series as I remember being really scared when I watched a scene from Final Destination 5 on TV many years ago
Overall, I liked the movie and the review of it too. I agree with the pros and cons of the film.
These movies would give me nightmares forever and I wouldn’t be able to go outside and do anything for my worst fears of a massive disaster 😆 I didn’t know it was originally a script for X-files, I really love that show!
Good, good… Still won’t watch it, though. 😆
(though I do have some memories of the scenes in the plane/at the airport for some reason, maybe I’ve seen some clips)
Interesting fact that it was originally an X-Files script! It’s also an interesting concept as a whole, to be honest.
*Still won’t watch it, though.*