bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

James Mottram

3/5 stars
The Grim Reaper returns for Final Destination: Bloodlines, the sixth instalment in the popular horror franchise in which fate intervenes, accidents await and the innocent tend to be ripped apart.
Fourteen years after the last film, this return feels welcome. It is certainly not aiming to reinvent the wheel, though. It sticks rigorously to the franchise formula of horrifying deaths, which usually result from the most benign situations.
Still, there is something intoxicating about the carnage of Final Destination movies.


This one starts with a flashback of sorts as 1950s mum-to-be Iris (Brec Bassinger) visits a restaurant at the top of a sky-high tower.
No prizes for guessing that this gleaming new building is about to come crumbling down, sending dozens to their deaths. But this is a typical Final Destination ruse; it is a recurring nightmare for Iris’ granddaughter, Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana).
With this vivid dream ruining her life, Stefani decides to track down her granny – who is long estranged from the family – to find out more.
She finds Iris (played as an older woman by Gabrielle Rose) living in a secure rural compound, refusing to leave the house and abiding by a survival manual she has written herself.

“Death doesn’t like it when you f*** with his plans,” she warns. And so it proves. The restaurant dream was actually a premonition Iris had, which she acted on and in the process saved many lives. Now Death wants his due – and he is coming for her family one by one.
Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, who were behind 2018’s Freaks, Final Destination: Bloodlines is relentless as it rushes headlong into a one-by-one carve-up: Stefani’s extended family are all heading for the chopping block.
How entertaining you find it will depend on whether you get your kicks from the gory – but admittedly inventive – deaths dreamed up by a team that includes Jon Watts, the director of the Spider-Man films starring Tom Holland.
Much like the opening dream sequence, there is plenty of misdirection – not every accident leads to mutilation. But there is enough to make you squirm as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, refuse trucks, vending machines and MRI scanners all play their part.

Led by Santa Juana, who manages to take all this silliness seriously enough, the film is an overripe orgy of destruction that is light on substance.
“Life is precious … enjoy every single second,” we are told. As maxims go, this is about as close as you get in a Final Destination film.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


Dick Van Dyke turns 100: 5 things to know about the Mary Poppins star

Christine Choy, who made documentary on racist killing of Vincent Chin, dies at 73

Why Steven Spielberg’s black drama The Color Purple remains controversial 40 years on

Japan finally airs Oscar-nominated #MeToo film ‘Black Box Diaries’ after lengthy delay

American cinema

Final Destination: Bloodlines movie review – 6th film in horror series as deadly as ever

Brec Bassinger as Iris in a still from Final Destination: Bloodlines. Photo: Eric Milner

A still from Final Destination: Bloodlines (category: IIB). Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, and starring Kaitlyn Santa Juana and Gabrielle Rose. Photo: Eric Milner



Kaitlyn Santa Juana as Stefani in a still from Final Destination: Bloodlines

Richard Harmon as Erik Campbell in a still from Final Destination: Bloodlines.

Thunderbolts* movie review: Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan lead Marvel’s latest team-up

(From left) Hannah John-Kamen, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell and David Harbour in a still from Thunderbolts* (category IIA), directed by Jake Schreier. Photo: Marvel Studios

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a still from Thunderbolts*. Photo: Marvel Studios

(From left) David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh and Wyatt Russell in a still from Thunderbolts*. Photo: Marvel Studios

The Accountant 2 movie review: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal in illogical thriller sequel

Jon Bernthal (left) as Brax and Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff in a still from The Accountant 2 (category IIB), directed by Gavin O’Connor. Cynthia Addai-Robinson co-stars. Photo: Warrick Page/Prime

Jon Bernthal (left) as Brax and Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff in a still from The Accountant 2. Photo: Warrick Page/Prime.

Drop movie review: first date goes wrong in clumsy thriller by Happy Death Day director

Meghann Fahy as Violet in a still from Drop. Photo: Universal Pictures

Meghann Fahy as Violet in a still from Drop (category IIA), which co-stars Brandon Sklenar. Christopher Landon directs. Photo: Universal Pictures

Violett Beane as Jen in a still from Drop. Photo: Universal Pictures

Meghann Fahy as Violet and Brandon Sklenar as Henry in a still from Drop. Photo: Universal Pictures

Takeshi Kaneshiro, one of the ‘most good-looking’ actors in Hong Kong cinema and star of some of Wong Kar-wai and Peter Chan’s best movies, is a man of mystery

Takeshi Kaneshiro at an interview with the Post in July 2004. Kaneshiro, who debuted as a singer in Taiwan in 1992, has not been seen on the big screen since 2017 – but remains as popular as ever. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhou Dongyu in a still from “This Is Not What I Expected” (2017).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin in a still from “Chungking Express” (1994). 

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kyoko Fukada in a still from the drama series “God, Please Give Me More Time” (1998).

(From left) Xu Jinglei, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Jet Li, Jacky Heung and director Peter Chan promote “The Warlords” at an event in December 2007. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro in a still from “Perhaps Love” (2005).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Michele Reis in “Fallen Angels” (1995). Photo: Block 2 Pictures and Jet Tone Contents

Takeshi Kaneshiro in an interview with the Post in December 2006. Photo: SCMP

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

MRI scanners and vending machines are used to kill characters in creative ways in long-awaited gorefest that follows the franchise formula


MRI scanners and vending machines are used to kill characters in creative ways in long-awaited gorefest that follows the franchise formula.


Film reviews

Cinema

Fame and celebrity

Hollywood

What to do in Hong Kong

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}MRI scanners and vending machines are used to kill characters in creative ways in long-awaited gorefest that follows the franchise formula

MRI scanners and vending machines are used to kill characters in creative ways in long-awaited gorefest that follows the franchise formula