Final Destination Reviews

'Final Destination' is most notable for two things mainly. The first being that it was the introduction of a fascinating and clever premise that is pretty unique for a supernatural horror. The other being that it was the feature film directing debut of James Wong, best known beforehand as a veteran of 'The X Files'.

It spawned four sequels with the fifth film being released in 2011. While it is flawed and somewhat of an uneven film, the first 'Final Destination' is still, six years after the fifth film, one of the franchise's better outings. Perhaps even the best, and the one where the premise feels the freshest. The more stale the concept got, the more the novelty wore off and the less effective the film. Could 'Final Destination' have executed its premise better? Perhaps. Mostly, to me, it did it quite well.

Visually, 'Final Destination' looks pretty good for low budget. It's slickly shot and very atmospheric, while the plane effects in the Flight 180 plane scene/explosion are quite impressive. The music score has a suitable eeriness.

The film is never dull and is a vast majority of the time fun and suspenseful, with elaborately creative death scenes that are ingeniously unsettling. The film's highlight is the opening Flight 180 scene, anyone already with a fear of flying will have their fear exemplified and it is likely to turn people from boarding a plane for a while. Wong does competently with the directing and the portrayal of Death is an interesting and well done one.

Acting varies, with personable Devon Sawa, affecting Ali Larter and Tony Todd's creepy cameo coming off best. Really liked the characters' surnames, that were nifty homages to horror/suspense icons.

Not all the acting works however. The others are saddled with one-dimensional and flatly written roles and are a mix of bland (Kristen Cloke) and irritating (Kerr Smith), also found myself not being able to take Seann William Scott seriously.

The biggest issue is the script, which is very high in the cheese and awkwardness factors and there is some clumsy exposition that often feels under-explored and not really going anywhere. Generally the story is nice, but things could have been explained better and explored more and it's a little too reliant on coincidence. Things also take a dumb turn towards the end before the film concludes on a logic-defying note.

Overall, patchy but entertaining. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I think it’s pretty original for the time he was done. A thriller based on accidents, very different. I think the film cool and logical. Not that I believe that destiny thing. But I like it when a film poses the theory that will follow and become attached to it, using it as base. And following this whole idea of each thing in its time, the movie makes much sense.

I didn't realize Ali Larter played in this.. great flick!

To be honest, I never felt any attraction towards this franchise but one of my colleagues at the time had a box-set with the first trilogy (I still have to watch the last 2 installments but I'm seriously in no rush), so, in this case, I thought I should give it a try. Eventually, I have to admit it, this first installment was actually rather well done and there was indeed an interesting concept behind it. But, still, I have to make this clear, this concept was not bad but that's about it. Basically, if you constantly and only watch some rather lame slasher flicks, I can imagine that you could be blown away by its cleverness but if you have a little more experience in movie watching, in horror or in other genres, I'm pretty sure it will only entertain you to some point. Basically, it is a little bit like 'The Butterfly Effect', it has a neat idea and, as a result, the makers believe they don't have to further develop this to make sure that it is really watertight so you end up with some major plot-holes and nonsensical BS. To conclude, it is rather enjoyable and entertaining but also very much forgettable but it is still worth a look though, especially if you are into horror movies.

In death there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escapes.

The movie that started it all. Although there wasn't a lot of CGI during these times (compared to the movies being shot using mostly CGI), this film still delivered a knockout horror film. It isn't the horror of being killed that drives this film; it's the anticipation and the anxiety and the insanity which results from waiting for Death to arrive that drives this film to horror status. Imagine yourself being able to see how you are going to die seconds or minutes before it will happen, and the following ticks of the clock are crucial to your survival (or, for the unfortunate few, demise). Wouldn't that scare the hell out of you?
Alex Browning (Sawa), along with his classmates, are on a classy school trip to Paris, France. A sudden premonition of death makes Alex cause a ruckus on the plane, which results in six of his classmates and one of his professors getting off the plane. Seconds after the plane takes off, it explodes. Instead of being grateful, everyone, save for Ale'x best friend, Tod Wagner (Donella), and the high school outcast, Clear Rivers (Larter) gets freaked out and/or defiant. Carter (Smith), in particular, believes that he doesn't owe Alex anything, and constantly gets hot under the collar everytime he sees Alex. Valerie Lewton (Cloke), Alex's professor, refuses to talk to Alex, since he "scares the Hell" out of her. Right after the incident, the survivors start dying, one by one, and Alex discovers that their deaths are linked to the seating arrangement and the way they were supposed to die on the plane. After a visit to William Bludworth (Todd), Alex and Clear discover that in order to prevent Death from happening, they have to intervene in each others' deaths, in order for Death to jump to the next person in the link.
Great great great. I'm more into the subtlety of horror, and not the full-blown "in your face" scares. Think of it as a psychological thing. Since you know it's going to happen,what's the fun in that? This film slowly creeps up on you and hits you head on with Death's scythe. Must see. ;)

I found this film surprisingly brilliant! It has been called a horror film by many but I don't think it is a horror film at all. It is just a very tense thriller. This film surprisingly sent a very important life message: death is unpredictable and can happen at any time. I suppose that is one of the main reasons why some might've found this scary and a horror film. It is a very shocking and horrifying film to watch due to the suspenseful music and gruesome effects and violence.


Final Destination tells the story of a group of teenagers who cheat death by avoiding a plane crash when one of them, Alex, has a premonition of their deaths. Just after their escape, all of the survivors start dying one-by-one due to mysterious accidents. I liked all of the characters in this one and I felt sorry for all of them because they didn't deserve what they got. I mean, when they said in the film that they cheated death, it makes it look like it's God deciding their lives for them and doing things for them so they eventually die when they are planned to. Some of the deaths, you think to yourself "Ewwwwwwwww!!" but in others you think "hahahahaha!" like it isn't that funny but can't help but laugh.


Overall, Final Destination is a very intense, entertaining, eventful and horrific thriller that I think some people would be shaken by when the ending credits roll.

Death as a sentient entity is a concept that has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, death is often given the name the "Grim Reaper", it is also given the name of the "Angel of Death" stemming from the Bible. In some cases, the Grim Reaper is able to actually cause the victim's death, leading to tales that he (she in some countries) can be bribed, tricked, or outwitted in order to retain one's life. This movie runs with that idea and creates a wonderful roller-coaster of a ride, as we watch a group of teenagers being stalked by the Grim Reaper, as death comes calling for those he/she missed the first time around!

This movie is aimed squarely at teenagers and is rated 15 accordingly. But for anyone 15-20 years old who wants a movie to make them jump, this movie will fit the bill perfectly.

Why do I rate this movie so highly? This movie ticked all my boxes when it was first released. I was the characters age, I had premonitions, I had escaped death in a similar manner and I had read enough fables and seen the Storyteller on TV to appreciate death as an entity. Its also a good scary movie!

"You already cheated death by walking off the plane. Now you gotta out when and how it'll come back at you. Play your hunch, Alex. If you think you can get away from it. But beware the risk of cheating the plan, disrespecting the design... could initiate a horrifying fury that would terrorize even the Grim Reaper - and you don't even want to fuck with that MacDaddy."

By the year 2000, the slasher genre seemed to have utterly run out of steam given the disappointing final instalment in the Scream trilogy. Final Destination, however, ably proves that there's still life and originality left in the ailing sub-genre. Not a genuine classic by any means, and it's essentially B-Grade horror schlock infused with genre conventions and endowed with A-Grade production values, but this first chapter in what promises to be another never-ending horror saga is superior to your usual horror outing. Blending intriguing supernatural elements with spine-chilling moments and general gory carnage, Final Destination is an extremely entertaining, inventive Friday nighter. Stylishly filmed and tautly directed, this flick deals with a variety of fairly heavy topics which are discussed candidly by teenage characters (in accurately written "teen-speak" as opposed to highly intellectualised dialogue even Harvard scholars wouldn't use), all the while developing into a darkly foreboding, eerie suspenser.

The main story is built on a simple question: what if you cheated Death, but the Grim Reaper still demanded his due?
Alex Browning (Sawa) is a senior French high school student about to embark on a class trip to Paris with his fellow peers. At the airport prior to departure, everything seems a little off. Upon boarding the plane, Alex suddenly has a vision that the plane will explode after takeoff. His vision is so vivid and intensely real that it provokes a violent reaction. This causes a disturbance, and Alex is consequently booted off the plane along with a few other students as well as a teacher. They're furious with Alex's behaviour...but this emotion quickly changes when they witness the plane promptly exploding moments later, killing all on board. However, the seven who stepped off the plane have cheated Death, and Death wants to balance the ledger. Alex and his friends begin to be methodically hunted down by the forces of the Grim Reaper who's intent on collecting the souls of those who cheated him.

"In death there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escapes."

After this set-up is established, the film indeed turns into a slasher movie, albeit a more thoughtful one than usual. Nobody takes their clothes off, and the usual invincible knife-wielding monster is replaced with the never-seen granddaddy killer of them all, the Grim Reaper. Final Destination doesn't use Death as a killer with superhuman abilities who must be overthrown by the protagonists...it's a truly unstoppable supernatural force instead. However, Final Destination succumbs to far too many genre clichés. The FBI agents are, of course, completely useless in the proceedings, and the adults are equally hapless. Also thrown in is an all-knowing mortician who babbles on for two minutes about "Death's design" (portrayed by none other than Tony Todd of the Candyman fame). The protagonists occasionally do boneheaded things (some characters practically walk into their death as opposed to being alert), and they usually act antagonistic towards one another for forced "tension". On top of this, the standard chase finale is silly, and it lacks intensity from time to time.

The mediation on fate found within the concept of Final Destination would most likely seem more appropriate for a foreign art film as opposed to a teen slasher flick. These provocative questions about premonitions and destiny are employed merely as a hook. The point of the film has nothing to do with the survivors coping with guilt and uncertainty (a potentially fascinating premise). It instead has other things on its mind: concocting graphic bloodbaths, and proving that death cannot be cheated. Final Destination is certainly serviceable as a teen slasher flick...but it's too clichéd, and the premonition aspect is barely touched on. Interestingly, the story was originally the concept for an abandoned X-Files episode.

At least the kill sequences are imaginative and enjoyably gory; evoking the spirit of Rube Goldberg. X-Files alum James Wong directs with style and flair, usually judging the timing of the shocks flawlessly (one particularly nasty road accident will leave audiences gasping with surprise), and in the opening 20 minutes he delivers one of the most devastating air disaster sequences ever committed to celluloid. However, Wong occasionally falters when the death sequences are elaborately built up. This is a fault of both those that choreographed these sequences as well as Wong's handling of the material. The kills are constantly far too elaborate to be believed, and the foreshadowing fails in building sufficient suspense. A "less is more" approach could possibly have proved more effective here. To the credit of everyone involved, though, the "don't go in there" syndrome never kicks in when a character is due to die.

"We're all on the same list."

It comes as no surprise that the "teenage" portion of the cast look more like adults in their mid-to-late twenties as opposed to 18-year-olds. As Alex Browning, Devon Sawa is appealing and subtle. Despite not looking like a teen at all, Sawa offers a certain believability that's beneficial during the film's key moments (after his initial premonition, he looks genuinely terrified). As Clear (the object of Alex's affection), Ali Larter is extremely effective. Ali is undeniably beautiful, but Final Destination never exploits the females of the cast, therein lying one of the best creative decisions of the entire film.
As the movie's resident asshole, Kerr Smith stars as Carter Horton. Alongside him, Seann William Scott places forth a surprisingly decent and charismatic performance as one of those who survives the plane disaster. He's the sort of person who gets inadvertently caught up in awful situations. He's also the only student not to leave the plane voluntarily. The rest of the cast is competent at best, including the requisite adult role (Kristen Cloke).
True fans of the horror genre will realise the characters are named after famous horror icons. For instance: Alex Browning (Dracula director Tod Browning), Larry Murnau (Nosferatu director F.W. Murnau), Agent Schreck (Nosferatu star Max Schreck), Agent Weine (Cabinet of Dr. Caligari director Robert Weine), Billy Hitchcock (Psycho and Rear Window director Alfred Hitchcock), as well as a few others.

In a genre normally devoid of wit, intelligence and originality, Final Destination is a diamond in the rough. Director James Wong's horror movie has the ability to shock (although these moments lose their effectiveness after repeated viewings) and surprise - two qualities rarely found in modern horror flicks. It's ultimately let down, however, by excessive genre clichés and some bad judgements on the part of the filmmakers in relation to some of the death sequences. Instead of a dark horror flick, Final Destination is unfortunately more of a teen slasher. Enjoyable as the latter, but it may have been a superior experience as the former. In spite of a few irritating shortcomings, this is probably the most innovative addition to the genre for years.

Followed by multiple sequels, beginning with Final Destination 2 in 2003.

6.7/10

The teen horror of my youth.

A group of young high school students set off on an exchange to France. Full of high spirits, only Alex it seems has a fear of flying.
Put at unease by broken food tray flaps he gets himself in a bit of a flap, but forces himself to calm down as the plane lifts off and his class mates cheer.
Within minuets however the aircraft begins to shudder. In the next few minuets the plane literally falls apart as fireballs rage through, annihilating the passengers.

Alex then opens his eyes with a start drenched in sweat, he must have dozed off. This time unable to suppress his anxieties and believing the plane really will explode he is intent on getting of the plane, a few students follow him, whilst some lash out against him, ultimately those in question are removed.

Back in the terminal arguments break out amongst the students until they are interrupted by a deafening 'boom' as the aircraft explodes mid take off.

After the funerals the students try to return to their lives to normal until Alex has another freaky premonition of a death and the number of survivors begins to drop.



Filled with truly ingenious deaths that are a marvel to watch unravel. The cast try to out smart death and beat his game to ensure their survival.

As a teenager this film kept me awake at nights for months, inspecting the shadows dancing across my walls at night in case a clue to my impending coming death lay within them. To this day I check my bathroom for wet flooring and my cups for incriminating cracks...

Its a shame that so few thoughtful thriller/horror films have been made to follow suite