Synopsis
Sponsored by the Festival of Frights, Final Destination 5, which premiered on August 12, 2011, is the fifth installment in the long-running supernatural horror franchise of the same name. The movie follows the eerie concept where despair has a design—and it assists its protagonist by killing them in the most elaborate manner imaginable.
The film opens with a group of coworkers heading to a corporate retreat. The protagonist, Sam Lawton, has a shocking yet thrilling premonition of a catastrophic bridge accident and enclosure that kills an entire bus of people. In a stroke of genius, he persuades a handful of people to evacuate the premises before the vision turns into reality. ‘Survivors’ include his ex-girlfriend Molly, his best friend Peter, and a couple of other colleagues with whom he shares a less platonic relationship with.
Death is stalking them, one by one – oh, you thought it was bludgeoned? Nope, it’s most definitely coming for them and as the narrative suggests in the same gruesome order they would have died on the bridge. Bludworth, the supplementing coroner adds “you see the escape the cycle statement’? you have to take someone else’s life”.
While the survivors scramble to find a way out, friendships begin to fracture alongside growing paranoia. In yet another horrific twist, the narrative comes all the way back around to the very first Final Destination, fulfilling the expectation of a full-circle moment in a surprisingly gratifying way.
Cast & Crew
Nicholas D’Agosto as Sam Lawton: An aspiring chef who visions his future unlike any other and fervently tries to mend his relationship while Death chases him.
Emma Bell as Molly Harper: Sam’s ex-girlfriend, still provides moral support, Sam’s emotional anchor throughout the film.
Miles Fisher as Peter Friedkin: Became a violent paranoid zealot, his portrayal of Sam’s friend becomes crucial in understanding the story’s descent into chaos.
Arlen Escarpeta as Nathan Sears: A fairly nice coworker struggling with overwhelming feelings of guilt from a death that he may or may not have caused.
David Koechner as Dennis Lapman: The smug boss of the group, dies in one of the more shocking moments in the movie.
Tony Todd as William Bludworth: Explains the narrative surrounding Death’s design, quote, rules—brings back from the earlier films, ominously.
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood as Olivia Castle: A character known for her thrill-seeking attitudes, performs one of the most iconic and controversial scenes in the franchise where she undergoes eye surgery.
- Director: Quale Steven.
- Writers: Heisserer Eric (screenplay), with Jeffrey Reddick’s characters as the basis.
- Subgenre: Supernatural horror and thriller.
- Duration: 92 minutes.
- Production Company: New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures.
- Rating on IMDb: ⭐ and overall reception.
- Mark out of 10: 5.9/10
Critics and the fanbase of the franchise shared a rather positive perception of the movie. Keep in mind that the series has a template it follows religiously. However, this particular installment did receive some appreciation because of the imaginative ways death was depicted, character development being more advanced than usual, and surprise plot twists which were refreshing.
It seems that critics adored the bridge failure sequence in the beginning as one of the best disaster sequences in the film out of the franchise, given its execution in the rest of the series. The application of practical effects alongside good visuals did both make the sequence terrifying as well as aesthetically pleasing.
The twist at the end when it was revealed that everything which occurred in the movie was actually the prequel to the original was something that loyal fans of the franchise appreciated a lot, considering their narrative intelligence.
There was still some criticism aimed at the weak pacing of character arcs and repetition of pacing, but a lot of fan praise joined the idea that this rebooted interest in the story. 3D versions of the film were praised in a way which did differ from previous attempts of 3D horror, claiming that it enhanced the intensity of death scenes.
Themes and Legacy
With Final Destination 5, we see the further pondering of deep existential issues related to fate, free choice, and ethics. One distinct theme is the notion of death being delayed but never evaded; this adds a layer of meaning and contemplation to mindless slaughter.
Moral conflict emerges in the premise of ‘killing to live.’ Self preservation takes a new spin as many in the group have to grapple with whether their lives hold more value than those of complete strangers. This adds to the mind gaming aspect of the franchise beyond its usual discomforting violence.
This is often regarded as the best post the first one because of the elegant style, clever writing, and references from the previous films. It capped off the series nicely and some would argue most constructively, finishing the mythology in a way that satisfied the loyal viewers.
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