The Final Destination franchise met its demise a long time ago, but it’s still fun to revisit around Halloween. The series inherently conforms to redundancy, but its best entries counter with clever elaborations. It’s hardly an accessible series for those already opposed to horror - the gore inevitably escalates with each sequel. However, despite some young melodrama, there’s still a lot to enjoy. The disaster sequences are stunning, and the premise is undeniably catchy. It certainly offers up some pretty demented death scenes. But Death itself ultimately relies on creative Rube Goldberg effects, which are enormous guilty pleasures. Here are the most memorable fatalities, in all their graphic glory.
Lori’s Escalator Ride
It’s a great relief that the fourth installment wasn’t truly the final outing for this playful horror series. Here, you’ll find the weakest performances and least interesting kills. The trick of the franchise is that Death’s elaborate measures are unpredictable. But the unexpected still has to satisfy, and the deaths themselves are generally letdowns, despite some decent contraptions. And yet, the theater sequence at the end of this film is surprisingly effective. Firstly, it’s so positively lengthy, the second vision feels unexpected, even as an echo of part 3. Secondly, Lori grinds into the mechanisms of the escalator. It’s pretty grueling, but more satisfying as part of a neat, meta disaster scene.
Dentistry And Pigeons
Director David Ellis’ vision for the first sequel was much splashier, with brighter cinematography and humor. This scene is an interesting case in point. There’s a great deal of buildup at the dentist, only for some pigeons outside to spell doom. In effect, the aim of the deaths is silly fun rather than shocking horror. However, dental surgery is legitimately unnerving. Those tools seem absolutely barbaric. A fish tank not unlike Finding Nemo’s results in water compromising a power outlet. A tactic Death is consistently utilizing. And yet, of all things, Tim ends up choking on a rubber fish before he’s rescued. But besides all the dark comedy, the scene’s dentistry is genuinely horrifying.
Rory’s Pieces
This death scene is an excellent example of successful misdirection. A number of clues are presented, which appear to be targeting Nora. And sure enough, she does end up dead, after complaining to an impatient fireman. However, that’s when it’s revealed that the Rube Goldberg system in place was actually for Rory, all the while.
Nora’s death actually leads to Rory’s death, a neat idea that’s unfortunately used later on for Clear. The surprise death works because the suspense wasn’t a lie—the plan was simply unpredictable. Watching the pieces come together like a jigsaw puzzle is always entertaining. It’s also a fun throwback to Sean William Scott’s death in the original film, albeit more gory.
Terry’s Bus
The original film was far more interested in genuine horror, with a unique spin on teen slashers. The story is particularly interested in exploring the complete rules of its mythology. The unraveling of this mystery is pretty intriguing, and the characters frequently come to argue over the protagonist’s theories. In this scene, viewers become so distracted by the discussion about “Death’s Design” and the bully, the shock is successful. True, none of the disaster scenes are listed here because they’re so quick and action-oriented. But Terry’s death is probably one of the most unexpected in any horror movie. Further, the film telegraphs it with the great punchline, “you can all just drop dead”.
Isaac’s Massage
Isaac is essentially a caricature, in this fifth installment. But the actor delivers some decent comedy, playing into the joke that he’s an unlikely ladies’ man. He’s also pretty disrespectful and amoral, stealing from his dead co-workers’ office. As such, his death is technically “earned”, per the genre and franchise. Still, more so than anyone else, Isaac allows for one payoff after another. Stealing the massage coupon starts it off. Then, insulting the receptionist results in a merciless chiropractor, loosening the table. The cell phone he uses to be a womanizer, ultimately exacerbates a fire. Finally, even the Buddha statue that Isaac briefly insulted, finishes him off. It’s a comedy of errors unlike any other victim, earning some genuine laughs.
Tod’s Shower
This death feels rather like a chase scene, as some leaking water supernaturally pursues Tod. In fact, he even sees Death as a paranormal entity, a shadow crossing his mirror. That specter is pretty unnerving, and the subsequent red herrings help drive up sincere tension. It allows your imagination to run wild, picturing the potential gore without even seeing it.
Then, Tod’s actual death is terrifyingly protracted. He’s strangled by supernatural means, with the scissors to rescue him just out of reach. Besides some effective direction, sound design, and music, this is the first time Death pursues balance. So, it remains a particularly impactful scene.
World’s Worst Tan
This is yet another instance of the series corrupting an ordinary setting. Despite the many contrivances that Death allows, tanning beds are already claustrophobic traps. True, the two blonde victims are generally unlikeable stereotypes. This plays more into the idea that horror fans always root for the killer, which is sort of cheap. Indeed, despite the talented Mary Elizabeth Winstead, the third film is a weaker entry in the franchise. However, the tanning bed deaths are undeniably unsettling. It begins with overt nudity, which is then contradicted by the victims’ skin boiling and bubbling later on. The girls’ vulnerable bodies are really tortured before the beds burst aflame. But it ends with decent dark comedy, cutting from the tanning beds to their coffins.
Candice’s Gymnastics
Gymnastics are gripping to watch, because it’s hard to imagine the physical skills necessary to avoid deaths like this one. The final entry of the series really understood how to course correct. The story focuses on young people rather than teenagers, and features significantly stronger leads. Their problems are more relatable. Also, the entire movie is filled with successful fan service—particularly that twist ending, and montage.
Lastly, the film smartly draws out every single death scene, maximizing suspense. The mechanisms leading up to Candice’s death are utterly fascinating, and the special effects of her contorted body are very convincing. And the loose screw on the balance beam, among bare feet, is innately disturbing.
Olivia’s Surgery
In a nod to part 3, a framed photograph of Olivia is cracked right across her eye, signaling the inevitable. Every worst nightmare that one can imagine for an eye surgery is quickly put to screen. She ends up in some A Clockwork Orange contraption, completely immobilized. Death shorts out another outlet, and hikes up the laser strength. It’s a newer technology than previous installments could have imagined, and the scene absolutely delivers. Eyes are extremely sensitive, and close-ups are often used in horror to disturb audiences. They have a naturally disconcerting quality, and significance. The sound effects and visuals really sell the torture, but ultimately, Olivia’s loose eye serves up a fun punchline.
Lewton’s Kitchen
It was established earlier that John Denver’s music served as a bad omen. But the soothing tune functions well as an ironic counterpart to one of the most elongated death scenes. Of course, Lewton doesn’t really think things out especially well, throughout the scene. She actively puts herself in danger, despite seeing the shadowy figure of Death in her kettle. However, it’s intriguing to watch her personally set up the agents of her demise. And unlike many other deaths in the series, which are frequently very sudden, this is unusually brutal. Lewton bleeds out for minutes on end, repeatedly punished as Alex fails to rescue her.
