Why the Final Destination Franchise Is So Original - Collider

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While horror franchises have been enticing audiences for decades, including such classics as Halloween and Friday the 13th, one that stands out from the crowd, in more ways than one, is Final Destination. With the news that Final Destination 6 will soon be coming to HBO Max, over 20 years after the original, fans are once again anticipating what death’s design has in store this time. So, now is as good a time as any to look back at what makes this horror franchise stand out from the rest of the horror genre.

Released in 2000, Final Destination tells the story of high school student, Alex Browning (Devon Sawa), who gets a premonition of a tragic accident on board a flight on a school trip to Paris. Due to this ghastly vision, which turns out to be true, he ends up saving those that follow him off the plane. But this is simply the start of a much bigger plot – death doesn’t let go that easily. From then on, all of those that were meant to be on board that fateful flight start dying off one by one in bizarre accidents. Originally written as a script for The X-Files, by creator Jeffrey Reddick, the movie went on to spawn four other films, as well as novels and comic books, making it an extremely successful franchise, as well as a noteworthy one.

When it comes to horror, we all want that thrill, that one big scare that we strangely crave. The problem is that the genre has become saturated with a lot of the same formulas – the masked killer, the demon, that really creepy child – making us almost numb to the premise. What makes Final Destination so unique is that it doesn’t rely on any of this. It relies simply on one of the most terrifying thoughts of all - that everything around us is a potential killer. Never before have electrical devices looked so hauntingly evil. This idea, as well as the premise of not being able to escape death’s plan, leaves for some truly blood-curdling viewing. We gaze in terror as each little action, such as leaving a bottle of vodka on the counter, has dire consequences for the next action. But more than that, it leaves pangs of fear long after the credits roll. And as any horror fan knows, that’s when you’ve just witnessed something special.

But while the after-effects of this franchise are sure to please the horror crowd, the topics, themes, and ideas brought up are able to bring in a much wider audience. These movies pose discussions on fate and bring to the forefront several philosophical questions. They make the viewer ponder questions; Would you want to know how and when you will die? and How much of life is free will and how much is determined? “Today may be your day to die.” That simple remark, uttered by a man being interviewed on TV at the start of Final Destination 2, is utterly chilling, yet simplistic in nature. But to be left with deeper introspection is not generally something we come to expect from the typical scarefest. Of course, the franchise is not without a few tropes. Yes, teens do get picked off one by one, and it has gore galore, however, for all its unique attributes, this can surely be forgiven.

Final-Destination-2-Kimberly-choking — Image Via New Line Cinema

Like several franchises though, Final Destination suffers a little after the second movie. With many of the same death traps and just a new set of teens experiencing them, the premise does tend to get a little tired. Final Destination 2 picks up one year after the first and sees a group of friends heading for a spring break beach trip. En route, our main protagonist, Kimberley (A.J. Cook), sees a catastrophic car collision and stalls the car, ultimately saving several other travelers. We also see her team up with the only surviving member of Flight 180, Clear Rivers (Ali Larter).

Final Destination 3 then centers on another group of teens, in particular, Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who has a premonition of an amusement park ride accident. And you can guess what happens next. However, with The Final Destination (the fourth movie), it seemed audiences weren’t quite done with it yet. This movie sees the same formula, this time with a race car track disaster, and was the highest-grossing at the box office of the entire franchise. Perhaps the 3D addition helped a little. And lastly (well, lastly for now) came Final Destination 5. Garnering largely positive reviews, as well as being the second highest-grossing of the franchise, it is actually a prequel to the first installment. This time, the death dodging occurs as a result of the main character, Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto), visualizing a catastrophic road bridge accident. And with the ending circling back to the original plane incident, it definitely makes for some eerie viewing. But although the premise may lend itself better to being a standalone movie rather than a franchise, each movie still provides those special traits often missing from others in the genre.

Final-Destination-3-rollercoaster — Image Via New Line Cinema

What really stands out in the films are the characters. These teens aren’t the typical rowdy horror movie stereotypes (well, certainly not in the first installment anyway). Instead, they are the type to be seen discussing fate and death at their local coffee shop. The fact that their friends are dying around them may be the instigator, but it’s still refreshing to see. These are movies that allow us to see teenagers dissecting the bigger picture of life and death. Many complex conversations are had throughout the five films as they work out the best ways to cheat death and what consequences that can create. These conversations make the movies become a psychological thrill ride, as well as just an adrenaline-filled one.

Final Destination is a franchise that shows us that horror doesn’t always have to come in the traditional slasher movie form. It allows us to see the beauty of the less is more technique – taking the simple fact that death will come to us all but using it in a fresh way. It’s not only a franchise to make us flinch in terror but one that gets inside our brain and forces some deeper thinking. And for that, it will always stand out.