At the end of 2022, I wrote an article called “Final Destination Is Unique Among Movie Series.” I felt safe in making this pronouncement because it had been 11 years since the debut of the last film in the series, Final Destination 5. The series appeared to be well and truly dead.

Boy was I wrong.

Surprised, Not Disappointed

Final Destination: Bloodlines debuted a few weeks ago and totally blew past all predictions to become the highest-grossing film in the series. Not only that, but it’s a critical darling, becoming the first film in the series to get almost universal praise. Now it looks like more sequels could be in the works to continue the story. The same reason why every other film series can’t end on a high note now applies to the series that I thought had managed to buck that trend.

I should point out that I’m not disappointed in being proven wrong. However, I am surprised. It makes sense for recognizable name brands to be revitalized and repackaged by the film industry. That’s what any company does to try to please its customers. I just thought that the filmmakers managed to end Final Destination 5 in such a special way that it was actually a fitting end for the series as a whole. I enjoyed that film more than any other entry in the series, and I liked how it tied the story up in a neat bow by connecting to the first film in a unique way.

Can a Film Series End Well?

I haven’t yet watched Final Destination: Bloodlines, though I’m sure it’s a good film. But that’s the problem. Can any film series keep up a high level of quality the whole way through? Even if there are bright spots here and there, I’m not sure that it can stop before it wears out its welcome.

I remember when the highest-grossing film of all time was something like Gone with the Wind or The Sound of Music. Those films never got sequels. They weren’t that kind of story. Then came Jaws, Star Wars, and other films that got numerous sequels and ended on a rather sour note. Back to the Future was never close to the top, but that trilogy was able to end as perfectly as possible.

No More Predictions

Perhaps I’m worrying over nothing. Final Destination: Bloodlines could turn out to be a solid end for its series, or it could spawn additional sequels of an equal caliber as itself. Now I know for sure that I can’t predict the future when it comes to the direction of Hollywood. Of course they’ll follow the money, but I had no idea there was so much money to be made from this particular horror franchise.

I’ll take a wait-and-see approach to the Final Destination series going forward. Maybe it will have even more surprises in store. I sure hope so.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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