Final Destination has become a cult horror franchise, but how does each film compare to the rest? Here are all the movies ranked from worst to best.
After more than a decade without “Death” stalking the survivors of a tragic accident they narrowly escaped from, Final Destination returns to our screens in 2025 with a sixth instalment, subtitled Bloodlines. To coincide with Bloodlines’ release, we’ve taken a look back at the previous five films and ranked them from worst to best.
Each movie in the franchise thus far, which has been active since 2000, has focused on a different protagonist who, in a moment of random clairvoyance, manages to escape certain death and whose actions directly or inexplicably prevent the inevitable deaths of others. In retaliation, the metaphysical manifestation of “Death” causes a variety of freak accidents that become increasingly elaborate with each passing instalment, seeking to sequentially kill off every last survivor who escaped its icy grasp.
Though later films in the franchise would each add an additional narrative wrinkle to keep the formula fresh, they all retain the same basic structure. Final Destination is a franchise built on the bedrock of violent theatricality: characters are never as compelling as the creative manner in which they meet their grisly demise. Each movie can be placed on a sliding scale from excellent to grossly underwhelming though, and to honour the release of the sixth film, we’ve decided to do just that. Here’s our definitive ranking of the Final Destination movies, ranked from worst to best.
5. The Final Destination (4)
Director: David R. Ellis
Starring: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Mykelti Williamson, Haley Webb
Release Date: 2009
It was certainly a choice to stage the opening accident of The Final Destination at a stock car speedway event; one would be hard-pressed to label the chaotic inciting incident a “universal fear” in the same way its predecessors were, which draws into question whether the filmmakers knew what they had at all. You can paint yourself a vivid picture of what to expect from the opening sequence alone: garish 3D money shots, crummy CGI in abundance, and exceptionally thin characters are each earmarked as unwanted calling cards for a film frequently regarded as the black sheep of the franchise.
In the movie, college student Nick (Bobby Campo) saves himself, his friends and several bystanders when he foresees a horrific multi-vehicle collision at the race track, leaving before the carnage begins. Soon after, the survivors begin to perish in increasingly outlandish ways, courtesy of a vengeful “Death” that seeks to claim the lives of those who avoided their pre-ordained demise. The Final Destination doesn’t stray far from the formula established by the three films prior, but it falters in almost every other way. It offers up the most unlikeable characters of the series, death sequences that fail to entertain, and an ending that tries to have its cake and eat it too. It’s a film that falls way short of the competent company it keeps.
4. Final Destination 5
Director: Steven Quale
Starring: Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, David Koechner, P.J. Byrne
Release Date: 2011
It’s a coincidence that the two tail-end movies were shot digitally, but Final Destination 5 firmly abolished the distinctive early ‘00s visual style that defined the original trilogy. FD5 boasts a modern sheen that does inexplicably take away some of the piece’s character, but it makes up for such a loss with wince-inducing death sequences and characters that are much more compelling than that of its immediate predecessor. This time out the trigger event is the violent collapse of a suspension bridge: Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto) and his company retreat-bound work colleagues survive after the former has a vision, after which “Death” once more hunts down the should-be victims it was denied.
Immediately, Final Destination 5 makes a splash by having some of the most graphic death sequences of the series, from satisfying bait-and-switch payoffs and tapping into surgical fears to the back-breaking gymnastics highlight. FD5 does make narrative miscalculations though; it introduces the concept that murder could forgo one’s anticipated appointment with “Death”, which leads to a climax where human immorality is more consequential than our tried and true primordial force. In a franchise where the convoluted artistry of the death sequence had become both the set-up and the punchline, gunshots and mano-a-mano brawling don’t cut the mustard.
3. Final Destination 2
Director: David R. Ellis
Starring: A. J. Cook, Ali Larter, Michael Landes
Release Date: 2003
We’ve all seen the log truck memes by now, right? Final Destination 2 might not be remembered for much else, but that motorway pile-up disaster that serves as the film’s violent catalyst will forever be immortalised for birthing a new fear in many; we’ll never consciously drive behind a vehicle carrying piled lumber again. Beyond having the most iconic of the opening disaster sequences, FD2 falls foul of the common sequel curse. It tried to amplify what worked from the original but it over-complicated a simple formula, in turn beginning a trend where each sequel felt the unnecessary need to add to the mythos of Death’s grand design.
Much of Final Destination 2 follows the path established in James Wong’s first film: a teenage protagonist foresees a disaster, their subsequent freakout saves a handful of lives, and shortly thereafter, “Death” comes knocking. FD2 ups the ante regarding the Rube Goldbergian death sequences, choosing more ambitious and unpredictable ways to spill precious crimson. Kimberly (A. J. Cook) is our least interesting protagonist though, and aside from the returning Clear Rivers (Ali Larter), none of the primary characters stand out as anything more than fodder to be theatrically departed. Regardless, it’s both a competent and entertaining sequel — let’s just forget about the hokey pregnancy curveball.
2. Final Destination
Director: James Wong
Starring: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Seann William Scott
Release Date: 2000
Even though Final Destination isn’t a conventional slasher — it lacks the prototypical final girl, the tangible murderous killer and the virginal safety net often afforded to the would-be teen victims still seen as innocent and untainted — James Wong’s franchise originator owes plenty to the work of Wes Craven. Final Destination rode the wave of postmodern teen slashers that were given new life by Scream and kept afloat by I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend and Halloween H20, to name a few. Originally conceived of as an episode of The X-Files by writer Jeffrey Reddick, FD1 took fresh form as a twisted paranormal thriller that turned ordinary everyday scenarios into death traps waiting to be sprung, plunging confused and frightened teens into a world where danger could arise in any innocuous bathroom or off any street pavement.
Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) foresees a plane explosion moments after takeoff, and his sweaty, panicked exacerbation causes several students, a teacher and himself to be removed from the aircraft, left to watch dumbfounded from the terminal as Flight 180 departs and detonates mid-flight. Final Destination is all about the concept; it’s a simple thriller built around an ingenious idea, and it challenges our understanding of what teen horror could be. Final Destination isn’t scary in the traditional sense, instead, it’s an insidious, unnerving experience that gets under our skin. It shocked us, drew us in with its effective simplicity, and made us fear the Mouse Trap potential of the otherwise mundane. Though the death sequences found within aren’t as elaborate as those seen in later instalments, Final Destination retains a lasting cultural impact.
1. Final Destination 3
Director: James Wong
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, Amanda Crew
Release Date: 2006
Roller coaster derailment isn’t exactly as commonplace a fear as intense traffic collisions or aerophobia, but one only need witness the opening catastrophe of Final Destination 3 to discover the perils of amusement park entertainment, as malfunctioning steel coaster cars race towards broken sections of track and catastrophically spiral off into the night air. FD3 has an opening disaster that’s much smaller in scope than that of its predecessors, and yet it’s the most emotionally devastating of the series. Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) loses her boyfriend Jason (Jesse Moss) in the accident, and the mental toll this has on her is better developed than the psychological turmoil experienced by any other protagonist before or after her.
Final Destination 3 falls short of creating visceral, macabre poetry, but it excels across the board when compared to its franchise contemporaries, bettering their characters, the increasingly graphic death sequences and the ingenuity of its violence. Original film director James Wong returned and brought fresh style to the film’s aesthetic, employing the use of split diopter shots and a deliciously staged match cut to provide visual variety. Final Destination 3 creatively integrates photographs into the mechanics of the storytelling. Wendy realises that individual photos taken of the survivors on the day of the accident hint at the potential cause of their impending deaths: a surprisingly helpful gift bestowed upon them, but one that doesn’t prevent the inevitability of sometimes swift, sometimes tortuous demise.
Final Destination 3 sticks with the simple, succinct formula cooked up for the first film and expanded upon in the second, and it crystallises the essence of Final Destination, placing additional emphasis on the dramatic irony of each death and executing the key moments with thematic vibrancy and tonal awareness. It roots our experience in the plight of the characters, all while telling us to look left and then delivering a mean hook from stage right. Final Destination 3 doesn’t take itself too seriously, though that doesn’t mean there aren’t also weighty themes at play. It’s a film about the fragility of life and how we can’t control when our individual clocks run out, but it’s also a silly genre piece that very much feels of its era, delivering all the gonzo chills and thrills you could ask for from a mid-’00s supernatural slasher.
Final Destination: Bloodlines will be released globally in theaters and IMAX on May 16, 2025. Read our ranking of the Final Destination deaths below!
