Alex Browning is boarding a flight to Paris with his classmates. He has a vision that the plane will explode after it has taken off. He leaves the flight with a few other classmates who are agitated that he has freaked out and caused them to be taken off the flight too. However, after the flight takes off they witness the plane explode mid-air. He then finds that those who cheated death are dying soon after this in grisly and uncanny ways.

This is the first time I have watched a film from the Final Destination franchise. I think that in my mind I equated the films as being ‘candy-ass’ aa they’re so mainstream. However, I read recently that John Waters was a fan which made me reappraise the films (there’s even a Pecker poster early on in the film. It’s also made by New Line Cinema which distributed and funded many Waters’ films).

I was pleasantly surprised. I like the convoluted ways the other characters died as if they were the kind of unbelievable ‘mondo’ deaths that you would read about on the internet.

I enjoyed that after his premonition, Alex is seen as either a suspect or a complete and utter weirdo.

I also enjoyed the idea of working out that Death has a plan and that if you can work out the pattern, you (may) be safe. Death is like a faceless, formless killer which was interesting.

But, it’s not like Final Destination is my new favourite film or anything. The fact that it’s not as irritating as I thought it would be is sufficient though. The big budget was well spent too as the set pieces and effects have aged very well too. No shoddy CGI here.

If any of the other films from the series were on TV, I’d investigate. But, I wouldn’t go out of my way to eagerly seek them out.

2.5 out of 5 stars