After "Sinners" and "Minecraft," it looks like Warner Bros. might have yet another hit on their hands— because apparently, death really doesn’t take a holiday.
It’s been a whopping 14 years since the Grim Reaper last clocked in for a shift in the "Final Destination" series, but with "Bloodlines," the franchise is back from the dead (again). And if these early reviews are anything to go by, this might just be the best one yet—which, let’s be honest, isn’t the highest bar to clear.
Yes, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” is actually earning positive ink; 75 on Metacritic and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes is pretty darn good. Most agree the film features some of the most inventive kills of the franchise.
The sixth entry drags in a fresh batch of doomed twenty-somethings, this time centered around a college student stuck in the franchise’s classic “death’s design” rollercoaster. One major emotional component? Tony Todd’s final appearance as William Bludworth.
The cast is stacked with up-and-comers, featuring Brec Bassinger, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Anna Lore, Owen Patrick Joyner, Max Lloyd-Jones, Rya Kihlstedt, and Tinpo Lee. Todd’s presence adds some much-needed gravitas to a cast that otherwise looks like it wandered in from a CW audition.
Box office projections had the film opening around $45M, but with this kind of buzz, don’t be surprised if it breaks the $60M mark. Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca might just be pulling off one of the most unexpected comeback stories in recent studio history.
"Final Destination: Bloodlines" hits U.S. theaters on May 16—and if you’re feeling extra brave (or just like being shaken around for 90 minutes), some theaters will be showing it in 4DX.