Final Destination (2000): Review

13th October 2024

Final Destination (2000): Review

With the arrival of October, and spooky month, it’s time to dim the lights, decorate pumpkins and watch scary movies. And I thought it would be fun to pick a horror film franchise to review this month and, seeing as the 6^th entry will be released next year, the chosen franchise is ‘Final Destination’. So, let’s travel back to the year 2000 with the first film, simply titled ‘Final Destination’.

After having a premonition that the plane he’s on will crash, Alex (Devon Sawa – Idle Hands, Black Friday) succeeds in getting his classmates off and to safety. But they’ll soon learn that they can’t cheat Death, and it’ll come to claim them all.

Originally coming from a rejected ‘X-Files’ script written by Jeffrey Reddick and Glen Morgan, which followed a similar synopsis, the first film quickly became a staple in horror film history. Twenty-four years later, its success has helped spawn four more films (with a new film coming next year), a book series and even a graphic novel. And it’s easy to see why ‘Final Destination’ was a success; it’s still a fantastic film with a unique concept.

From the opening scene, ‘Final Destination’ takes its time to introduce viewers to the cast of characters and it does this beautifully. The lead cast includes some well-known names either at the time or later on which not only includes Devon Sawa, but Ali Larter (Legally Blonde), Chad Donella (Saw: The Final Chapter) and even Seann William Scott (American Pie) and Tony Todd (Candyman). The cast are all fantastic as is the writing: each character has their own personality and characteristics which are emphasized throughout the film. This means that the film explores how each character reacts to the ongoing situation, and they’re all different, making each person stand out. And, with a runtime of 98 minutes, ‘Final Destination’ is really well paced. While the later entries move into the gorier side of the horror genre, this film is not only a horror film, but a mystery film. It also focuses on two detectives (Daniel Roebuck – Terrifier 3/Roger Guenveur Smith – Do The Right Thing)who are put in charge of the plane crash case, thus following a similar journey that Alex is forced to take on. While they have a lesser screentime than the lead cast, they’re still included in the cast of characters that are trying to understand the situation. This aspect is interesting and added a slightly different perspective compared to what the rest of the cast are experiencing.

But the focal part of ‘Final Destination’ is Alex’s premonition and the consequential creative deaths that the franchise quickly became known for. Even years later, the film does a fantastic job at creating a terrifying situation in the beginning of the film, which is the plane crash. The film takes its time to establish the journey to the airport, as well as the reasoning behind the journey. And when the inevitable happens, ‘Final Destination’ doesn’t hold back in showing its audience how terrifying and dangerous the situation is. The sequence works because it’s executed so realistically; practical effects are mostly used to achieve the horrifying imagery of the crash.

But even after Alex thinks he’s saved his classmates; the next part of the film arrives which is the kills. What makes this franchise unique is that the villain isn’t a creature or human killer; it’s Death itself. Not only does this mean that the stakes are a lot higher compared to other horror films, but it means that creative kills are a must! This is another aspect of what put ‘Final Destination’ on the horror map and, even if some of the deaths seem absurd, the execution of each death is done so in a realistic way. What made these deaths terrifying, even now, is that it shows viewers each step that led up to the kill, further emphasizing a sense of realism to the absurd. That, and the practical effects. Even though there isn’t a lot of it in this entry, as the film instead opts for quick cuts and darker lighting for effective shock value, the practical effects that are used are fantastic.

Twenty-four years later, it’s still so clear why ‘Final Destination’ has cemented its place in horror film history. It introduced a unique concept and, with that, new fears for generations to come. Overall, it’s hard to deny that this was, and still is, a fantastic introduction to an iconic horror franchise.

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