Every Final Destination Death, Ranked

by

Experienced a close call where you stepped off the curb prematurely and narrowly avoided a speeding bus, or slipped down a staircase but caught the handrail at the last moment? Kudos on making it through your brush with destiny! We’ve all had our share of such incidents. The “Final Destination” series, featuring numerous characters who have miraculous escapes, followed by being pursued and ultimately claimed by an unforgiving, malignant force of Death, is based on situations that are far-fetched and sometimes laughably implausible. However, since its debut in 2000, it has become a common way to describe our own close shaves. The sudden jolt of fear those movie scenes provoke mirrors our deepest anxieties.

These movies skillfully play with the viewers’ emotions much like Death does with its targets. The camera moves stealthily around a room, and seemingly innocuous items become chilling in their purpose, as if they have been selected by the Grim Reaper himself: a flickering match, a sharp blade, an exposed electrical wire. Activities that are typically uneventful – like taking a shower or going on a road trip – all of a sudden carry the weight of life and death importance.

In these movies, death doesn’t just restore equilibrium; it doesn’t peacefully escort its victims into eternal rest. Instead, characters meet gruesome, terrifying deaths, desperate for relief that never arrives. The cruelty is emphasized. In this film series, a calm acceptance of one’s fate is useless; death ensures your demise is scream-worthy. With the arrival of Final Destination: Bloodlines, we’re listing every gruesome, grisly, gory death in the saga, ranked from least to most brutal.

42.
Falling brick (Final Destination 2, 2003)

In the series, Death appears as a ruthless and cruel force, designing intricate deadly traps for its victims and finding great pleasure in their fear. It mockingly undermines any attempts at escape, leaving no doubt that it will pursue them relentlessly wherever they go. This is particularly evident during the climax of Final Destination, where it reappears after a brief pause, claiming another life as the screen fades to black. The sudden off-screen death of Alex Browning (played by Devon Sawa) in the second film feels abrupt and unsatisfying. Even more disappointing is his method of demise, which is merely mentioned in a newspaper clipping – a brick falling onto his face.

41.
Falling bathtub (The Final Destination, 2009)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=wcGBAjQP-p4

A patient confined to bed in a hospital, weakly struggling against the ominous presence of Death, is more powerfully portrayed in the movie “Final Destination 2“. In this instance, however, a malfunctioning physical therapy tub filled almost to the brim, falls through the ceiling and squashes the barely mobile character named Jonathan Groves (played by Jackson Walker) in the room below. The poor quality of the digital effects makes them stand out, taking away from any genuine emotional impact. Instead of showcasing Death’s intricate planning, there’s just an absent-minded nurse who leaves a tap running in the almost full bathtub.

40.
Speeding ambulance (The Final Destination)

In a chilling echo of the events in ‘Final Destination’, I found myself caught in the path of a swiftly approaching ambulance, much like George (played by Mykelti Williamson). It’s eerie how life can mirror the plotlines of a horror flick.

39.
Falling glass pane (Final Destination 2)

Visiting the dentist is generally an unpleasant ordeal that many people dread. When you’re lying there, it feels like you’re at your most defenseless as they tell you to open wide. (Even those scientists from ‘Severance’ are curious if it’s possible to eliminate dental discomfort by shifting it onto another version of yourself.) Young Tim Carpenter (played by Jim Kirk) is almost frozen by the effects of nitrous oxide during his appointment; he can’t ask the dentist to stop, even as tears stream down his face. Then, a plastic fish falls into his mouth when the doctor steps out and he starts to choke on it. Dying in the dentist chair would be both frightening and humiliating, but that’s not how Tim meets his end. Instead, after being rescued from choking by the returning dentist, he leaves his appointment and runs wildly towards a group of pigeons, scaring them. (Still, there’s no excuse for getting excited about pigeons.) He is then crushed by a falling glass panel, dropped by an operator distracted by the birds. Tim holds the record for being the youngest victim in the franchise, but his death has to be one of the most foolish ones.

38.
McKinley Speedway racetrack crash (The Final Destination)

In the second opening sequence of this series, which followed ‘Final Destination 2’, fails to meet the high bar set by the infamous log-truck massacre. Instead of a racetrack, fans find themselves in a deadly scenario, either incinerated, struck by flying tires, sliced by car hoods or impaled on rebar – situations that appear exciting on paper but fall short when translated to visual reality. Although intended for 3D viewing, the digital effects frequently seem lackluster and unconvincing. Even the depiction of a fan being trampled in the subsequent stadium rush fails to evoke the crushing fear of claustrophobic terror.

37.
Fence slicer (The Final Destination)

In a subsequent “Final Destination” movie, a character manages to avoid being flattened by a speeding van, only to be fatally struck moments later by a flying CO2 tank, resulting in his dismemberment against a fence. By the fourth installment, this repetitive pattern of narrow escapes followed by gruesome demises had become predictable and less engaging.

36.
Mall explosion (The Final Destination)

In the movie, as tension builds towards an on-screen bomb explosion that should be more suspenseful, real explosions occur behind the screen, piercing Janet (Haley Webb) with shrapnel and killing her. These blasts also cause the mall escalators to burst open, revealing their inner workings where Lori Milligan (Shantel VanSanten) is tragically pulled in and crushed. As a teenager, this scene made me apprehensive about using escalators, but upon rewatching it as an adult, I noticed its flaws. The deaths, except for those borrowed from previous films, have potential, but the special effects make the experience less immersive instead of more so. Moreover, the actors lack the necessary experience to convincingly portray these scenes, and the graphic depiction of Lori’s internal organs flailing on the rotating mechanisms following her death feels excessive and disturbing.

35.
Wrench to the face (Final Destination 5, 2011)

In a sudden and gruesome turn of events, a wrench accidentally flies into a rotating sanding machine and embeds itself in Dennis’s (David Koechner) face. While it’s a tragic way to perish, the incident lacks any suspense or dramatic buildup, making it rather forgettable.

34.
Tire to the head (The Final Destination)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=6kEhq1__9lk

After a collision at the racetrack, Nadia Monroy (Stephanie Honoré) tragically suffered a head injury when a spinning tire that flew out of the stadium struck her unexpectedly. Although she was taken aback, spectators had been anticipating this unfortunate event.

33.
Rotisserie skewer through the back (Final Destination 5)

In a surprising turn of events, Sam uses a rotisserie skewer to stop his ex-friend and deranged killer, Peter Friedkin (Miles Fisher), from harming his girlfriend, Molly (Emma Bell). However, the method of Peter’s death falls short in comparison to the various potential scenarios suggested by the restaurant kitchen setting – such as boiling oil fryers or a gun on a lit stove. This was an impromptu human choice rather than a carefully planned sequence of events usually associated with Death.

32.
Giant hook to the head (Final Destination 5)

In a swift and unforeseen turn of events at the factory, Arlen Escarpeta’s character, Nathan Sears, manages to evade a descending hook, yet inadvertently shoves Brent Stait’s character, Roy Carson, into its path. As the hook slices through the walkway beneath them, a struggling Roy clings to it for support, tragically ending up impaled. Although Roy wasn’t the intended target, the incident occurs so suddenly that it’s barely perceptible – Nathan is still inquiring about Roy’s wellbeing when we first notice the blood.

31.
Falling cherry picker (Final Destination 3, 2006)

By the end of Final Destination 3 , the formula where characters boast about their invincibility before meeting a gruesome fate becomes repetitive. Ian McKinley (Kris Lemche), in his overconfidence, meets his demise when a falling cherry picker crushes him. A humorous detail is added with his twitching arm, giving the middle finger, to an otherwise dull ending scene.

30.
Flagpole through the chest (Final Destination 3)

Perry Malinowski (Maggie Ma) gets impaled by a flagpole that’s hurled through the air like a javelin. The series often makes viewers care deeply for characters we’ve come to love, hoping they’ll survive against all odds. However, since we didn’t know this minor character well, her sudden death doesn’t carry as much emotional impact. But, the brief moment of terror as we realize she’s going to be the next victim right before it happens is a chilling contrast to the drawn-out deaths we’ve seen before.

29.
Nail gun to the head (Final Destination 3)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=oBxosZ6Hd7Y

Before Erin Ulmer (played by Alexz Johnson) meets her tragic end, Ian delivers another lengthy speech that contributes to the speech’s lower ranking on the list. In a hardware store setting, Erin is accidentally struck by a nail gun, causing it to discharge into her head and face. Although this scene is gruesome, the tension that had been carefully built up – with Ian narrowly avoiding danger from an industrial saw or a runaway forklift elsewhere in the store – is undermined by Ian’s long, seemingly dismissive speech preceding Erin’s death. The effect is a deflated and anticlimactic ending to the scene.

28.
Shot through the back (Final Destination 5)

Peter grows obsessed with the notion that killing someone will make Death abandon him. In a tense scene, he pursues Molly, who’s terrified, through her boyfriend’s restaurant kitchen. The situation seems to follow a predictable path until detective Jim Block (played by Courtney B. Vance), who’s been investigating the increasing number of suspicious deaths within their circle, enters the scene unaware of the danger. Peter, unbeknownst to him, ends up being the next target instead. In a chilling turn of events, Peter shoots Detective Block several times from behind. The death isn’t particularly original, but it scores points for depicting an ordinary person corrupted by Death’s influence, rather than Death itself being cruel.

27.
Bus collision (Final Destination, 2000)

Instead of the prolonged, escalating, agonizing death scenes characteristic of the Final Destination series, this film highlights Death’s abrupt and unforeseen nature. For instance, character Terry Chaney (Amanda Detmer) steps onto the sidewalk only to be instantly run over by an unexpectedly arriving bus. This plot device has been used frequently in films, such as Mean Girls and Meet Joe Black. However, its repetition diminishes its impact, making it predictable. As a result, you anticipate Terry’s fate a moment before it occurs, reducing any element of surprise or shock.

26.
Truck collision (The Final Destination)

In a coffee shop, a truck abruptly veers towards Nick O’Bannon (Bobby Campo), Lori, and Janet. At the instant of impact, the narrative unfolds using X-ray images to show broken bones, fractures, and dislodged teeth, providing a grim portrayal of violence without excessive graphic detail.

25.
Barbed-wire slicer (Final Destination 2)

A quick, powerful sequence intended to shock, yet it falls short upon delivery. After character Kat Jennings (played by Keegan Connor Tracy) is fatally wounded, a cigarette drops from her hand, triggering a gasoline leak in a news van that ignites and explodes. The blast propels a barbed-wire fence into Rory Peters (portrayed by Jonathan Cherry), causing his body to be torn apart. The sight of his upper body separating from the lower half with a sickening sound is disturbing, but given the swift succession following Kat’s violent and abrupt demise, the scene lacks the intended impact.

24.
Truck engine fan through the head (Final Destination 3)

In a somewhat surprising twist, Frankie Cheeks (played by Sam Easton) meets an untimely end when his head is torn apart by a spinning truck engine fan in a scene intended to mislead. This event sets into motion the deaths of Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman) and Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who are trapped in a drive-through by a runaway truck, with another one charging towards their car. However, the suspense is somewhat diminished because earlier it was established that they weren’t on Death’s list. This scene momentarily makes you question if Death’s patterns have indeed changed, adding an element of uncertainty to a franchise that was starting to feel predictable in its third installment. Despite our knowledge that Frankie was Death’s next victim, his death is shocking because we didn’t know he was nearby until the last moment. On one hand, his demise was unexpected, but on the other, as a persistent nuisance, his exit brings a sense of relief.

23.
Hospital explosion (Final Destination 2)

In this scene, it’s one of those predictable moments where death strikes when characters think they’ve managed to escape it. Death is patient, closing Eugene Dix’s (T.C. Carson) hospital door, sealing the vents, and disconnecting his oxygen supply from one of the cylinders. It also unplugs his defibrillator. For anyone who’s ever used a ventilator, suffocating death is a chilling fear, and Carson convincingly portrays this nightmare as he struggles desperately for breath and makes awful gurgling noises while his call button slips out of reach. The rest of the group thinks they’ve evaded death, but when they do, Dix’s defibrillator switches back on in emergency mode, giving them a false sense of security. However, it turns out to be a trick (a psych) as Clear Rivers (Ali Larter) opens the door to his hospital room and unintentionally pulls out a cord from its socket, causing a spark that ignites the pure oxygen that has filled the air. The resulting explosion incinerates them both.

22.
North Bay Bridge collapse (Final Destination 5)

As a movie buff, I must admit that the opening scene in “Final Destination 5” starts off a bit shaky for me. The premonition sequence where Candice Hooper (Ellen Wroe) meets her grisly fate doesn’t quite hit the mark, despite its potential. The CGI waves look artificial and the sound effect of her intestines spilling out sounds like water splashing from a stock library – it’s hard to ignore.

However, the subsequent rapid-fire shock deaths save the scene. The brutal demises of people struck by falling cars or cables, impaled on rebar or bisected by sliding metal sheets, are quite impactful. Details like the score momentarily pausing as Molly takes her precarious tightrope walk on a beam connecting the two halves of the collapsing bridge, or the screen blurring during a character’s fiery death, add to the suspense and tension.

The scene effectively taps into our primal fear of heights, focusing on various characters teetering precariously at the edge of the bridge before transitioning to a bird’s eye view that starkly illustrates the sheer drop below. A single smear of blood far beneath underscores the fragility and insignificance of human life.

21.
Subway derailment (Final Destination 3)

The third installment of the movie “Final Destination” concludes with a chaotic train derailment scene that’s both shocking and gruesome. The death toll is high, but it’s not just the number of deaths that makes this scene stand out – it’s the manner in which they occur. Characters like Julie Christensen (played by Amanda Crew) are tragically crushed by a free-floating train wheel, Kevin is sucked out of a window, and Wendy, pinned down on the tracks with a broken leg, faces yet another incoming train. To add to the horror, it’s revealed that this terrifying vision is a grim portent of their inevitable fate. As they desperately try to halt the train, the film fades to black, leaving behind the chilling sounds of shattering glass and the ear-piercing scream of metal wheels – a grim reminder that death is relentless and there’s no escaping its grasp.

20.
Plane explosion (Final Destination)

The build-up to the first Final Destination premonition of a devastating explosion is particularly chilling and impactful in demonstrating Death’s omnipresence within the franchise. Later films would simplify this concept into a repetitive formula, with none managing to capture the escalating, unavoidable feeling of terror that this installment does so uniquely well. The premonition taps into one of our deepest fears: the sensation of losing control completely. The passengers follow instructions to put on their oxygen masks and fasten their seatbelts, only to find themselves powerless in the face of a flaming plane. Although the scene may not have been graphic in its visual depiction, it was undeniably frightening in its intensity.

19.
Plane explosion (Final Destination 5)

So far, we’ve come to understand that every tale in the Final Destination series culminates in death. However, the fifth film cleverly leans on our understanding of the franchise and introduces a twist that takes us from a gradual understanding to a shocking revelation. The climactic plane explosion, surprisingly, unveils that the movie is actually a covert prequel to the original! Additionally, it ratchets up the violence compared to previous installments. Molly is tragically torn apart when she’s sucked out through a hole in the plane and impaled on its wing. Sam meets a fiery end inside the aircraft. Even Nathan, who was far away at a bar, doesn’t escape unscathed. The landing gear from the crashing plane smashes through the roof, killing him instantly.

18.
Barbecue explosion (Final Destination 2)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=R8EVrx6Wxdw

Towards the end of the second movie in the Final Destination series, we can tell that it’s headed for another death; throughout the franchise, it’s clear that no one actually escapes death. The final scene, set at a barbecue, resembles the end of the first film, and the mention of minor character Brian Gibbons (played by Noel Fisher) having a near-death experience alerts us to danger. True to form, the barbecue explodes, and Brian meets his grisly end in the distance; a charred arm lands on his mother’s plate. While a death might have been anticipated, the sudden burst of laughter it elicits makes it surprisingly original.

17.
Roller-coaster derailment (Final Destination 3)

In a different phrasing:

The characters in the first “Final Destination” movie were typical teenagers, displaying behaviors like silliness, arrogance, and cliquishness. However, they were authentic and relatable, as they grappled with their complex pasts and uncertain futures. On the other hand, the third film opted to concentrate on shallow and self-centered high school students, making it challenging for viewers to empathize with their impending deaths in the opening premonition scene. After all, would anyone truly mourn a student infamous for shouting lewd comments at his peers? Nevertheless, the roller coaster derailment is an exhilarating spectacle that overshadows the one-dimensional character portrayals. The filmmakers transform a ride intended to provoke fear into something less terrifying. The camera rotates 360 degrees, capturing the looping ride in dizzying fashion. Shaky close-ups intensify the sensation of nausea. A camcorder falls out, creating an unsettling silence as it plummets. What’s even more distressing is when the ride comes to a halt, leaving passengers dangling upside down in midair before they start falling to their deaths. The deaths occur too swiftly to fully process, but the experience leading up to them has been quite the roller coaster ride.

16.
Pool-drain suction (The Final Destination)

Enduring the excruciating experience of having all your internal organs vacuumed out through your rear end is extremely painful and embarrassing. Although Hunt Wynorski’s (Nick Zano) on-screen death doesn’t occur, the tense scene showing him struggling underwater as a powerful drain sucks him in is excruciatingly distressing, ultimately resulting in the gruesome sight of a geyser of blood and entrails.

15.
Falling Buddha statue (Final Destination 5)

As a film critic, I must admit that the demise of Isaac Palmer (P.J. Byrne) in this series was nothing short of poetic. His fate mirrors his character’s lack of intelligence – a falling Buddha statue crashes onto him at a massage parlor, a karmic retribution for his earlier mockery of the deity’s physique. The scene is masterfully crafted to mislead, as it initially appears he slips off his massage bed onto acupuncture needles, followed by his phone nudging a lit candle into spilled sterilizing alcohol. Remarkably, Isaac manages to survive both ordeals, only to meet his grisly end moments later when the statue, precariously perched on a loose shelf, comes crashing down, splattering the camera with blood and gore. Truly, it was a gruesome yet fitting end for such an insignificant character.

14.
Slingshotted stone through the skull (The Final Destination)

I’m keeping a close watch on you two,” ominously foreshadowing Samantha Lane’s (Krista Allen) gruesome demise in the thrilling climax of ‘Final Destination’. The beauty salon transforms into a deadly trap, teeming with hazards such as spilled body butter, a wobbling ceiling fan, pressurized hairspray cans ready to burst, and scissors dangerously close to her eyes during a haircut. Each narrow escape is pulse-pounding, but Samantha’s fate is sealed not by the element of surprise, but by explicit warnings that leave no room for relief. The film cleverly highlights a stone lying outside the salon before she enters, underscoring the bleak reality: Escape is impossible.

13.
Vodka firehouse explosion … with knives? (Final Destination)

In another way of saying it, what can be expressed about the extraordinary chain of events leading to Valerie Lewton’s (Kristen Cloke) demise in the movie “Final Destination“? Death seems tangible and gives a chilling sense of being watched, especially as the anxious teacher sees Death’s reflection in her kettle. Her mug filled with vodka shatters, spilling alcohol onto her computer that subsequently blows up, sending a piece of glass into her throat. One would assume Death would have stopped there, but it continued as she tried to escape, causing the computer-induced sparks to ignite a trail of vodka leading back to the bottle, which also exploded. As she reached for a kitchen towel to stop the bleeding, a block of knives slipped from her grasp and impaled her. This was a fate hinted at by the large sword-themed stained-glass windows surrounding her home. However, Death wasn’t done yet! Her oven detonated, causing a chair to fall onto the knife in her chest, driving it deeper and ultimately taking her life. To add insult to injury, her entire house then exploded. It seems Death had a personal vendetta against this unfortunate woman, who was already tormented by survivor’s guilt.

12.
Tow-truck fire (The Final Destination)

In many instances throughout this franchise, it’s heart-wrenching to witness ordinary people succumbing to fate at the worst possible moments. Regardless of their circumstance, none of them deserved such a gruesome demise. The relentless approach of death, especially in Carter Daniels’ case, is truly horrifying to behold. In “The Final Destination,” Carter Daniels (portrayed by Justin Welborn) becomes an appalling caricature of racism, using vile slurs and even burning a cross on a Black security guard’s lawn. The cruelty he displays makes his eventual death feel like justice served – a rare instance where one might find themselves cheering rather than feeling anxious. As fate would have it, he becomes entangled in a tow-truck chain, dragged down the street, and his clothes catch fire. His face, now frozen in a look of shock, is torn off during an explosion and lands before the very security guard he had tormented. The final touch – a cartoon character yelling “My ass is on fire” on television – adds a satisfyingly mocking tone to the scene’s conclusion.

11.
Route 23 freeway pileup (Final Destination 2)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=pFrf9twvCTA

When you recall the Final Destination series, it’s likely the chaotic freeway accident that springs to mind – and for a good reason. Unlike other opening mass deaths in the series, which are tied to less common events such as flight travel, roller coaster rides, or corporate retreats, this film generates fear from ordinary, daily activities, like driving. A child playing with toy trucks serves as a nerve-wracking prelude to the mayhem that unfolds when a cargo truck’s metal chain breaks, causing enormous logs to scatter across the freeway, even if it doesn’t hint at the gory deaths that follow: A log pierces a car’s windshield and its driver, a motorcyclist is run over by his own vehicle, cars are overturned, set ablaze, and collide repeatedly. After Final Destination 2, seeing a log truck on the road would make our hands sweat more, our grip on the steering wheel tighter.

10.
Fire-escape ladder to the eye (Final Destination 2)

In a chilling yet amusing public service announcement, Evan Lewis’s (David Paetkau) demise serves as a stark warning against littering. Despite the suspenseful build-up hinting at various mishaps such as tripping over a stray doll or an exploding microwave, it seems Evan’s misfortune is far from over. Will he lose his arm to the garbage disposal, suffer burns in a kitchen fire, or meet an untimely end due to the malfunctioning fire escape? The audience is left guessing until the final, grisly twist: Evan slips on spilled spaghetti, lands on his back, and watches in shock as the fire escape impales him. The irony lies in the increasing tension of watching an incredibly unlucky man, contrasted with numerous voicemails from friends discovering his lottery win, expressing their envy for his luck.

9.
PVC pipe through the head (Final Destination 2)

Trying to free Kat from a log that trapped her in the driver’s seat following an accident, an emergency medical technician unwittingly triggered her airbag, causing her head to slam against a sharp PVC pipe jutting out. Her death came as a shockingly swift surprise, despite ongoing rescue efforts and the presence of an authority figure on the scene giving us a false sense of security. Kat’s composure, even joking at the rescuer moments before disaster, contrasted starkly with most people in their final moments, who are usually filled with fear. None of us saw it coming, and despite the tools being called the “Jaws of Life,” they proved to be no match for this tragic turn of events.

8.
Swinging billboard (Final Destination)

In the chilling climax of the movie “Final Destination,” I found myself on edge as Carter Horton (Kerr Smith) was unexpectedly struck by a falling billboard, a sound effects-enhanced thwack echoing ominously through the scene. This grim moment served as a stark contrast to the characters’ earlier confidence that they had managed to outsmart Death. It underscored the relentless nature of the series’ antagonist, who proves to be unavoidable. Interestingly, it was a misdirection – the audience, like me, assumed Alex was Death’s intended victim, until Carter’s heroic act doomed him instead.

7.
Elevator decapitation (Final Destination 2)

As a movie enthusiast, I’d put it this way: Elevators can be suffocatingly tight, especially when you want to keep your distance from another passenger. In a chilling moment, Nora Carpenter (played by Lynda Boyd) is in a rush to escape a man carrying an odd crate of hooked plastic limbs. Upon learning that this stranger will bring about her demise, she tries to flee the elevator, only for her braid to get entangled in one of the hooks. The doors close cruelly around her neck, lifting her head inside and her body outside. In a terrifying ascent, the force of the elevator decapitating her. Her blood-curdling screams echoed through the confined space, and the sight of her desperate claws scratching at the elevator doors was spine-tingling.

6.
Gymnastics accident (Final Destination 5)

Observing gymnasts soaring through the air for sport can be nerve-wracking, but things get even more harrowing when you factor in the unstable apparatus and the risk of electric shock that confronts Candice. A significant portion of the scene focuses on tense close-ups of an upside-down screw that has fallen onto her beam, with her nimble feet swirling around it narrowly avoiding contact each time. Her safe landing is quickly overshadowed by a sense of disbelief tinged with shock. Another gymnast’s foot slips, causing her to tumble and knock over a bowl of powder which a fan subsequently blows into Candice’s face. Blinded while swinging on the high bars, she lands awkwardly, her spine arching through her back as her legs fold over her head. While bodies have been injured, burned, and crushed in this series, they’ve never been twisted quite as gruesomely as they are here.

5.
Laser eye surgery gone wrong (Final Destination 5)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=s5D8jf0k_1k

Unlike many films in the “Final Destination” series, which generate fear from ordinary situations, the idea of a laser beam aimed at an eye is inherently chilling. Without any specter of Death lurking nearby, it’s still a terrifying thought. In the movie, Olivia Castle, portrayed by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, undergoes corrective vision surgery. A malfunction in the high-powered laser causes it to burn one of her eyes. MacInnes Wood skillfully conveys the terror and claustrophobia of having one’s head restrained and an eye held open with a speculum. Her efforts to protect her eye only lead to her hand being burned instead. In desperation, she breaks free, crashes through the clinic’s glass window, falls several stories, and lands on a car below. The untouched eye pops out of its socket upon impact and is crushed by an incoming vehicle. One might be tempted to say, “I told you so,” when considering this grisly outcome.

4.
Weight-machine head crush (Final Destination 3)

The demise of Lewis Romero (Texas Battle) occurs at a campus gym, where the atmosphere becomes increasingly charged with testosterone, loud cheers, and workout equipment that could be used as weapons, adding to the tension. Unlike most deaths in the movie Final Destination, where ordinary objects often pose a danger, here it’s only the two scimitars hanging on the gym wall that are emphasized repeatedly. Despite Kevin and Wendy’s desperate attempts to make Lewis realize Death’s plan, they fail, adding to the growing anxiety as he refuses the escape route. As the pressure mounts with each repetition, the scimitars fall loose, narrowly missing him. Just when relief replaces our (and his) shock, he is tragically crushed by the weights on his machine that have swung down to either side of his face.

3.
Train-assisted decapitation (Final Destination)

In this captivating narrative, I found myself on an exhilarating rollercoaster ride where the rules were constantly being rewritten. Instead of me controlling my impending demise, it was Carter who took the reins, only to be thwarted at the last second. He stepped onto the train tracks, bided his time as the train approached, but in a heartbeat, he changed his mind. His car refused to start, the doors were locked tight, and the seatbelt held him captive. The tension built as the scene switched between Carter’s desperate struggle, the relentless train, and Alex’s daring rescue. However, the drama didn’t subside with Carter’s escape; it escalated with a heated argument between Carter and Billy Hitchcock (Seann William Scott), and a chilling glimpse of shrapnel beneath the high-speed train. When the debris flew out, it wasn’t Carter who was injured – instead, Billy’s head was abruptly severed. The prolonged buildup culminated in an unexpected twist that underscored the cunning unpredictability of death’s design.

2.
Tanning-bed fire (Final Destination 3)

Ashlyn Halperin (played by Crystal Lowe) and Ashley Freund (Chelan Simmons) meet a gruesome end in a series of odd circumstances – an untouched drink, a door held open with tanning lotion, an unusual dislike for Celine Dion and Britney Spears. In a chilling sequence, they are trapped and burned alive within their tanning beds, the escalating heat punctuated by their terrifying screams. The cramped space of the tanning beds intensifies the feeling of suffocating claustrophobia, and the reflective surfaces add to the cruelty as they’re forced to watch themselves die. The most disturbing image is the abrupt transition from their side-by-side tanning beds to their side-by-side coffins, a visual joke that stands out as one of the series’s darkest moments.

1.
Bathroom clothesline (Final Destination)

As a fan, I must say, the series’ first-ever death creates an unforgettable blend of sorrow and dread. The scene begins with Tod Waggner’s (Chad Donella) voiceover at a funeral, reminding us that we often underestimate the proximity of death. It’s a chilling premonition for him. He promises Alex they’ll take a road trip soon; sadly, that moment never arrives. It’s heart-wrenching to empathize with someone who believed he had a lifetime ahead, only to have it cruelly snatched away.

The scene effectively paints Death as an ominous presence – the drip-drip of a leaky pipe creates an eerie slowness, while the water seems to menacingly spread like a tentacle reaching for Tod from beyond the grave. Yet, Death is also precise, shutting the door before it strikes. The tension builds as we anticipate Tod’s demise; our minds race with possibilities – electrocution or a slashed throat. Instead, Tod slips and is tragically strangled by his clothesline. The scissors he used moments earlier are now agonizingly out of reach; his father remains oblivious to his dying cries.

Tod’s suffering underscores the inevitability of Death – a force that always comes back to tidy up its messes. Not only does the wet bathroom floor miraculously dry, but Tod, who should have perished in the plane explosion initially, is now also eliminated. It serves as a grim reminder that Death is relentless and unavoidable.

Read More

2025-05-16 21:00