Final Destination has been a staple of the horror genre since its debut in 2000. Each film blends memorable characters and their respective deaths, mystical races against the clock, and a pitch black sense of humor. With the recent installment, Final Destination: Bloodlines, releasing this year and now streaming, there has never been a better time to revisit this classic horror franchise!

If you have not seen any of these films, I can not recommend them enough. You will see my exact thoughts on all six films in a second, but there is nothing like Final Destination. Fasten your seatbelts, check your aircraft for emergency exits, and hang on tight, because this is:

Every Final Destination movie ranked from Worst to Best

#6: The Final Destination 3D

With all due respect to Mykelti Williamson, this movie is not good. Even if it were a standalone film that did not follow the storyline of the other five films, this installment still would not work because everything is so inherently different. Even as a Final Destination entry, this is still one soggy puddle of mud. Let me shift this critique a bit and tell you that this balances being boring with being kind of based… I’ll explain.

This film was released in 2009 at the peak of the 3D boom. 3D was heavily emphasized in films around this time, and this movie is no different. However, this installment also incorporates a Nu-Metal approach, which was big in 2000. The year 2000… when the first film was released. Nu-Metal… as in the mix of rap, rock, and metal genres popularized by such bands as Limp Bizkit and System of a Down. Nu-Metal, as in the tone that the first film never did.

The following trailer contains spoilers and graphic content from The Final Destination. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights are reserved.

The opening title sequence really threw me for a loop, because I thought with the rad music, the skeleton dummies recreating deaths from the franchise so far, and the location being a racetrack, that we would see something cool. Alas, we did not.

With an emphasis on the 3D element to make the deaths pop, the whole film came off as rather silly than entertaining. Part of the charm of Final Destination is the tongue-in-cheek approach to every death, and the emphasis on everyday items or locations that are more dangerous than they may seem. Everything here is almost too mundane. Yeah, people fear escalators, but do something else. 

All in all, The Final Destination (in 3D!) is disappointing. It is not entertaining, the characters are not even remotely likable and memorable, and it has the least interesting deaths in the series. This movie is skippable, but if you are truly in the market to binge every entry in the series, then by all means, have at it. 

The following trailer contains graphic and mature content from The Final Destination. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

10,000 points have also been deducted because this is the only Final Destination movie without as much as a vocal cameo from the legend himself, Tony Todd. More on Tony’s greatness will trickle out in each entry, but his absence is noticeable.

Best Death: Lori (Shantel VanSanten) living out my girlfriend’s biggest fear and getting chewed up by an escalator (in 3D!).

#5: Final Destination 5

I remember seeing the commercials and advertisements for this movie when I was 11, and they scared me so much that I put off watching this series until this year, 2025. With everything leading up to this point, I was pretty excited to see if my fears towards this film were still there. In short, yes. FD5 is a good movie; my fears were worth it, and I had a ton of fun. 

This installment is paranoid and plays very well with the group dynamics that, up to this point, had been standard. For a film series about a group of people destined to die, there has always been a lot of teamwork in the race against Death – but not in this movie. The scene of our protagonists’ premonition takes place on a suspended bridge, and for my money, this premonition is tied for the best opener of the whole series. The deaths are methodical, yet chaotically placed, and they set the stage for some nasty work.

The following trailer contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination 5. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

By the final twenty minutes of FD5, it’s definitely intriguing to see someone in the group snap and decide to take matters into their own hands. Peter (Miles Fischer) tries to kill Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Molly (Emma Bell) to spare his own life. With Death on everyone’s heels, obviously, that is not how this movie goes, making this storyline all the more bleak with a tinge of dark humor.

In addition to the film’s paranoid, eerie tone, the dark comedy is never sacrificed; the deaths are memorable, gruesome, and downright shocking. FD5 goes right for the jugular, producing some truly uncomfortable scenes and chilling demises.

Without getting too graphic, Isaac’s (P.J. Byrne) acupuncture needles, Olivia’s (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) eye exam, and Roy’s (Brent Stait) hook accident are either generally terrifying moments or prey on my own personal fears to the point that I respect them.

There is some crazy stuff in this movie, and it absolutely rocks. The ending of this film is my favorite because it reveals that it takes place right before the first film. We end at the beginning – on Flight 180 –  and it is so awesome. This finale is my favorite by a country mile. FD5 is fun, uncomfortable, intense, scary, and as entertaining as they come. Bonus points are due for the return of Tony Todd!

The following video contains spoilers and graphic content from Final Destination 5, and New Line Cinema Studios’ rights are reserved.

Best Death(s): Sam, Molly, and Nathan (Arlen Escarpeta) being killed in the wreckage of Flight 180. Although content-wise, the choice is Olivia’s botched eye exam, the emotional punch of the finale hits harder. 

#4: Final Destination 2

No opening sequence in the history of horror has traumatized an entire generation of people more than the highway crash that kicks off Final Destination 2. The log truck industry has never been the same since 2003. With a three-year gap between this film and the first, it’s easy to see the writers still feeling out this franchise’s limitations with supernatural elements and group dynamics. 

FD2 plays more with fate, destiny, and circling Death’s intentions until the moment is just right. This is especially evident in the pivotal scene where all the characters alive at the moment reveal that they essentially cheated their respective demises because of the events of the first film. If I had one gripe with this movie, it would be that the hands of fate or the strings connecting each survivor’s venture enter mild, convoluted territory. 

The following trailer contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination 2. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

One thing I admire about the Final Destination franchise is how it consistently presents inevitability through the concept of destiny. Since destiny is, you know, usually a good thing in movies, these movies leave you chomping at the bit for someone to bite the dust in the funniest way possible.

My favorite aspect of this movie is the practical effects of the deaths. The opening sequence is fantastic and ever so realistic; Evan (David Paetkau)crushed by the ladder is great; Rory (Johnathan Cherry) split into three is dope, and Tim (James Kirk) getting absolutely pancaked by a glass pane is the best practical effects of the entire series. FD2 is a good sequel that continues the fun kookiness of the series, and truly did (and still does) an incredible job scaring anyone and everyone into switching lanes when they see a log truck on the road.

The following contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination 2. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

Best Death: Evan slipping on alleyway spaghetti and being impaled by the fire-escape ladder. This would go to everyone in the accident, but that was a premonition, and I don’t think those technically count.

#3: Final Destination: Bloodlines

The moment the trailer for FD: Bloodlines was released, you could feel the hype across every corner of the internet. At first, some detractors said it looked silly with all the nonsense going on, but once the film was released, the “y’all must have forgot” spread like wildfire. In preparation for this film’s release, I binged the entire saga, which brings me to this point to tell you that Bloodlines is so damn good.

The following trailer contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination: Bloodlines. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

With arguably the franchise’s best cast giving great performances in a story that’s rather easy to follow, Bloodlines is the real deal. If you removed the direct references to previous films, this very well could work on its own. 

Final Destination: Bloodlines goes eight for eight with memorable character deaths, and includes a touching tribute to the late, great Tony Todd – an absolute legend of the genre. Bloodlines marks Todd’s final appearance in the franchise, as Mr. Bludworth, as well as his final performance in his career, as Todd would pass away in late 2024 from terminal stomach cancer. 

Crying is not anything I expected to do after a Final Destination movie, but I did expect to be scared and grossed out. Boy, howdy! I am a squeamish little lad, so my tolerance for gore is already low, but since this franchise is loaded with silliness, I can laugh, too. With that said, some stuff in Bloodlines made my stomach turn more circles than a coil in a vending machine, wink-wink. 

Iris’s (Brec Bassinger) engagement ring getting snagged, Erik Campbell (Richard Harmon) getting sucked genitals-first into an MRI machine, the vending machine coil going through Bobby’s (Owen Patrick Joyner)  head, and basically everything that happened to Uncle Howard (Alex Zahara) all upset me quite a bit. FD: Bloodlines was an awesome time at the theaters, an insanely good return to the franchise, and well worth all of the excitement.

The following trailer contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination: Bloodlines. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

Best death: Erik Campbell being mangled and folded in half by an MRI machine, immediately followed by a vending machine coil going through his brother Bobby’s head. 

Rest in Peace, Tony Todd.

#2: Final Destination 

I had my doubts that any of these movies would be my thing, but camp, kills, and comedy came together to create something magical: Final Destination. It all started with a high school trip to Paris on Flight 180. This is a classic. While not as gory, outlandish, or tonally devastating as the other films, this is still a bloody, goofy, and dark movie that will stand the test of time.

Reflecting on the film, I thought about how “simple” it is compared to the rest of the movies, yet that is what makes it a top-tier movie. There was nothing else to compare it to; the franchise’s foundation was set, and this created the standard for what good could come of Final Destination. Do you know what else this movie sets up perfectly? Tony Todd as William Bludworth, the eerie mortician! His hilariously eccentric line delivery and haunting presence quickly became a necessity for the franchise. My God, Tony Todd was so cool. 

The following trailer contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination. Metropolitan Studios’ rights reserved.

While the performances are not perfect, and they never needed to be, the acting in this movie is nuts. Lead actor Devon Sawa manages to both overact (lovingly) and nail the tone of the scene, all while generating his own chaos. Seann William Scott was fresh off American Pie, so his appearance in this only further cemented that he was one of the hottest commodities of the early naughts. 

Every performance is right on—yet totally out of proportion—and it rules. All of the films after this ramp up the gore, paranoia, humor, and intricacy to the characters’ deaths, but classics are classic for a reason. Final Destination is campy, goofy, fun, unique, and a must-see for almost every reason imaginable. 

Need a campy horror movie? Bingo! Looking for a 2000s comedy that is not officially a comedy? You got it! Do you want to see some fictional people die in the most hilarious and over-the-top ways possible? You know where to go. Final Destination is a classic and still stands head and shoulders above its sequels as a peak movie experience. 

The following scene contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

Best death: Billy Hitchcock’s head sliced in half by shrapnel from Carter’s (Kerr Smith) destroyed car.

#1: Final Destination 3

Oh man, this rules so much. Maybe it is due to my blind admiration for Mary Elizabeth Winstead, my love for this franchise, and my gravitation towards dark humor, but Final Destination 3 is perfect. FD3 works best as an entry into this franchise, but it also stands on its own as a standalone film. You could jump right into this film without any prior knowledge of the others, and still have the best time. 

The following trailer contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination 3. Metropolitan Studios’ rights reserved.

Our scene of destruction takes place on a roller coaster and delivers some truly visceral moments at a pace as fast as the ride. Once the car takes off and our cast of characters begin falling out in some way, this movie never relents for a second. Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives the best performance of anyone in this franchise by heightening every second into a real and high-stakes moment. 

Final Destination 3 is not a flawless movie, but it is so ridiculously entertaining, nonstop insanity, and as unserious as campy horror goes. I can rattle off the items that kill each character, and if you have seen this movie, you already know how awesome each object is. If I mentioned a nail gun, a cherry picker, gym weights, an automatic engine, or tanning beds, you know exactly what I am talking about. 

FD3 is a nonstop ride that is worth watching! If you have a pre-existing fear of rollercoasters, then I don’t think this will help. This film starts at a hot pace, continues at a brisk 1000 miles an hour, and ends with a pummeling, destructive train-wreck finale that makes me want to avoid trains. By the time I reached this entry in the franchise, I thought the best was behind me, but Final Destination 3 is ridiculous in all the best ways.

The following scene contains graphic and mature content from Final Destination 3. New Line Cinema Studios’ rights reserved.

Best death: (all of them, but) The Ash’s (Chelan Simmons and Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe) burned crispier than a Thanksgiving turkey in malfunctioning tanning beds. It had to be the best, because this is the best death in the entire franchise, full stop!

Final Destination Ranked by Nolen Kelly

Final Destination is a franchise unlike any other, absolutely worth watching and enjoying. Gore is not my cup of tea, but dark comedy, mystical interferences, and pure unadulterated goofiness are. Final Destination is a must-watch for all horror fans, and even for those looking to sink their teeth into some dumb fun. 

What do you think about Final Destination? 

Which is your favorite film in the franchise? Which is your least favorite?

Which character death was your favorite, and which one was the weakest? 

Let me know what you think, and stick around for more movie reviews!