Final Destination

Approaching Final Destination in the wake of its three sequels is certainly an interesting proposition, as it’s obvious virtually from the word go that the film is a much different animal than its followups – as director James Wong, along with cowriters Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick, has infused the movie with a far more deliberate and story-oriented vibe than fans have come to expect. The film, which follows a group of high schoolers, including Devon Sawa’s Alex, Ali Larter’s Clear, and Kerr Smith’s Carter, as they avoid a plane crash yet find themselves pursued by a sinister force, is subsequently rife with expository interludes designed to explain the series’ ongoing mythology, and although waiting for the central characters to catch up to what we already know sporadically does become a little tiresome, there’s little doubt that Wong’s unexpectedly cinematic sensibilities prove instrumental in capturing and sustaining the viewer’s interest from start to finish. Wong’s old-school modus operandi is superficially reflected in the decision to name the movie’s characters after well-known horror filmmakers (eg Hitchcock, Lewton, Browning, etc), yet it’s the ease with which the director cultivates an atmosphere of suspense that ultimately sets Final Destination above its slasher brethren – with the surprisingly tense opening fifteen minutes certainly standing as a highlight within the proceedings. Sawa’s personable turn as the hero is matched by a uniformly effective supporting cast rife with familiar faces (eg Seann William Scott, Brendan Fehr, Tony Todd, etc), which, when coupled with Wong’s thoroughly capable directorial choices, cements Final Destination‘s place as an innovative (and unexpectedly influential) exercise in horror.

*** out of ****