Final Destination 5

Unquestionably the best of the Final Destination sequels, Final Destination 5 once again follows a scrappy protagonist (Nicholas D’Agosto’s Sam Lawton) as he saves the lives of himself and several friends after experiencing a grisly vision of their deaths – with the movie subsequently detailing the survivors’ ongoing (and increasingly futile) efforts at staying alive. There’s little doubt that Final Destination 5 immediately establishes itself as an improvement over 2009’s The Final Destination, as the movie boasts a far more cinematic feel than its immediate predecessor that’s reflected in everything from the meticulously conceived and executed kill sequences to the surprisingly strong assortment of compelling characters. (The Final Destination, though entertaining, was saddled with one-dimensional figures and a comparatively, pervasively low-rent atmosphere.) Filmmaker Steven Quale does a fantastic job of instantly capturing the viewer’s interest, with the expectedly grandiose disaster that kicks off the movie more than living up to the series’ reputation of stellar openings. (This may, in fact, be the best and most horrific set piece in the entire franchise.) From there, Final Destination 5 progresses into the characters’ individual exploits as they encounter death traps of an expectedly brutal nature – with the familiarity of these scenes alleviated by Quale’s stylish directorial choices and the creative maneuverings within Eric Heisserer’s screenplay. Heisserer’s ongoing efforts at putting his own spin on the Final Destination formula have mixed results, as the film subsequently features innovations that are both intriguing (eg a cop believes Sam has something to do with the deaths) and underwhelming (eg the cat-and-mouse, slasher-movie-like climax) – though there’s certainly no denying the effectiveness of the film’s captivating full-circle conclusion. The end result is a better-than-average sequel that will surely thrill fans of the Final Destination movies, and it’s ultimately difficult to recall a horror franchise that has fared as well (and remained as entertaining) as this seemingly unstoppable series.

*** out of ****