There’s no other franchise quite like Final Destination. Having spanned three decades, the series has been shockingly consistent. And I’m not talking about how, outside of the newest, they all released within three years of each other. This had a creative consistency you rarely see within the horror genre. The best entries can add extra layers to the mythology, without stepping on the toes of its predecessors. There’s a respect for the past, while still acknowledging that they have to take the series into the modern day. It’s been quite the impressive sight to behold, and I’m so excited that the series is back and as strong as ever!
With the recent success of the sixth entry, we thought it was time to go through this death-defying franchise and rank it. So we rewatched the series to see where all six entries stack up. Hopefully we get a seventh entry before too long that we can add to our list (hopefully towards the top).
6. The Final Destination (2009)
I agree with franchise producer Chris Perry that the fourth entry is easily the worst in the franchise. But that’s not saying that it’s all bad. I liken it to a theme park ride: you’re not going to get much substance, and it’s more about the ride. I made a whole video about why it sucks (which you can check out above) but yeah, this one mostly misses the point of what came before – even though director David R. Ellis and writer Eric Bress had previously worked on the second movie.
Best Kill: The Escalator (though technically occurs as part of a premonition)
5. Final Destination 3 (2006)
I will always love this for being the film that introduced the world to Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Final Destination writer/director James Wong and co-writer Glen Morgan returned to add something new to the mythology: the concept of photos giving hints to the brutal deaths we’ll be getting. It adds another element for the audience to look out for, bringing them along for the ride versus solely trying to shock.
Best Kill: The Tanning Bed Death Trap
4. Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
The latest entry has been absolutely lighting the box office afire, and it seems to be revitalizing the series. By introducing the generational wrinkle, directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein and writers Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor (who were working from a story by MCU Spider-Man director Jon Watts) could have made things messy, but instead we got more deaths than we’ve ever seen in the series. While a tad convoluted, this one really makes sure you’re basking in dread and kills people off in a variety of unexpected and truly disgusting ways. The kills in this one are amongst the series’ best and worth the price of admission alone, and it also serves as a wonderful tribute to the late, great Tony Todd.
Best Kill: The Garbage Truck
3. Final Destination 2 (2003)
This movie could only have the opening logging truck highway accident, and it would still have high placement on this list because that was such an all-timer. I’ve spoken at length about why it may just be the greatest scene in the entire franchise, and it doesn’t let up after the introduction. Director David R. Ellis and writers J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress (who share story credit with Final Destination concept creator Jeffrey Reddick) deliver a bevy of incredible kills, and the film features a very entertaining ensemble cast that you want to see defeat death. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t work out so well. But, as proven by Bloodlines, at least we now have confirmation about Kimberly’s fate.
Best Kill: Rory Gets Bisected By A Fence
2. Final Destination 5 (2011)
Usually by this point a horror franchise has completely lost steam and is doing whatever it can to stay relevant. Yet director Steven Quale and writer Eric Heisserer decided to introduce a slasher element, with the concept of being able to take someone’s life expectancy for yourself. This has very interesting consequences and provides a unique wrinkle to death’s plans, without getting too over the top.
Best Kill: The Gymnastics Mishap
1. Final Destination (2000)
How has it already been 25 years since this movie was released? The original is a modern-day horror classic that introduced us to the concept of trying to defy death, and it lit our imaginations on fire. Devon Sawa and Ali Larter are likable leads and we’re treated to some of the most interesting Rube Goldberg-style deaths, with Ms. Lewton and Tod being standouts. Thank you James Wong, Glen Morgan, and Jeffrey Reddick for kicking off such an amazing franchise!
Best Kill: Terry Gets Hit By The Bus
How would YOU rank the franchise? Let us know in the comments!
