Final Destination is campy 2000’s horror, but it’s not bad.

Story

Before getting on a flight to Paris for a school trip, Alex Browning has a premonition that the plane will explode. When the events of his vision occur in real life, he and several of his classmates get off the plane before the explosion. However, those who survived set off a chain of events that result in each one of them ending up dead.

Okay, this story is completely bonkers but it works? I’m familiar with the Final Destination movies but I’ve never seen the first one and it’s a really interesting premise albeit a bit morbid.

What I like about the premise the unpredictable nature of the story., you really don’t know what is going to happen. The characters die in the most creative ways and I’m curious what the writing process looked like because I know the writers had fun writing thing.

Acting

The acting is… not good. However, this movie is 20 years old so I can’t be too harsh. That being said, no one in this movie is getting any acting awards in this movie. They’re either overacting or not doing anything and when you have one next to the other it take you out of the movie. I don’t know if Alex is meant to be unlikeable but having him as the audience proxy gets a little jarring because I got tired of him about halfway through the movie which made rooting for him hard. He’s also the only character you spend extended time with and I can understand why. Everyone else (him included) has a massive X on their back.

The other main actors who are pictured on the poster do a decent job. Of all of them, I would say the standout performance is Kerr Smith who plays Carter Horton and even his performance is nothing to write home about, but let’s be honest, no one is watching this movie to pay attention to the acting.

Writing/Direction

As mentioned earlier the premise was very unique for the early 2000s, and even now. What I find interesting is that unlike most horror movies there is no visible antagonist. There’s no man in a mask with a knife or a chainsaw that draws your attention when you are on screen. Anything and everything can cause a chain of events that can lead toa death of one of the characters but interesting enough, there are visual cues that give you an idea when something is going to happen, you just don’t know what. It adds suspense and tension and in a lot of scenes, it pays off because there are some genuine jump scares in here. I do have to say that some death scenes are so ridiculous that I burst out laughing at how insane they were.

Having found out that James Wong worked on the X-Files and that the film began as a spec script for the X-Files, I’m not surprised in the slightest, however, I don’t know how the story would have fit into the greater X-Files story.

I was actually surprised at how easy the movie is to watch, it feels a lot shorter and it is and because there isn’t much for you to think about, it’s not the kind of movie you need to give your utmost attention which can sometimes make movies feel longer.

CGI/Set Design

Early 2000’s CGI… do I need to say more? That being said some scenes look pretty impressive given the time period, while others are… terrible. However, there are other things on the screen to take your attention away from the bag CGI but when you notice it, it is very very hard to unsee.

Score/Soundtrack

This was actually my favourite element of the entire film. It adds tension while also feeling like a campy 2000s horror score that you’re used to. Shirly Walker the composer was someone who worked in the horror, thriller and sci-fi space, and you can tell because everything you hear in this movie is familiar while also being perfect for the movie.

Overall Thoughts

Final Destination is a ridiculous movie with a cool premise. Am I moved by it? No. Is it entertaining? Yes, it is. And that is why most people would watch the movie. It’s a B horror movie that is surprisingly easy to watch and doesn’t take itself too seriously, kinda perfect for a movie night. Maybe I should go and watch the rest.

Originally published at http://www.thecinematicaficionado.com on May 21, 2020.