All The Final Destination Movies, Ranked

Just when I thought it’s safe to return to a tanning bed, drive alongside a logging truck on a highway, or ride a rollercoaster – Final Destination comes back to remind me that life is fragile, death is inevitable, and even something as mundane as a soccer ball is capable of knocking you head first into a garbage bin. Mostly, if death doesn’t get you the first time, it’s definitely circling back.

The franchise that taught us to fear literally everything (microwaves, air conditioners, dental tools, and even acupuncture needles) has returned with its sixth and surprisingly solid chapter: Final Destination: Bloodlines. And I’m happy to report, Death’s still got game.

The Final Destination series was never about masked killers or haunted dolls. It was about vibes—and violence. A chaotic ballet of cause and effect, where a spilled coffee or a gust of wind could spiral into a Rube Goldberg catastrophe that ends with someone getting decapitated by barbed wire. From its debut in 2000 to its early-2000s heyday, the franchise practically invented the blueprint for “death porn.” It was horror-meets-home-improvement, and it made everyday objects terrifying. Then the series fizzled out in 2011, buried under a wave of elevated horror and Blumhouse jump scares. But now, nearly 15 years later, it’s back from the dead—and it’s in surprisingly fine, gory form.

The Final Destination Series —ranked best to worst

So, in honour of the return of cinema’s most punctual grim reaper, we’ve ranked all six Final Destination films—from all-time classics to straight-to-streaming energy.

Warning: spoilers ahead. And maybe just… don’t sit under that ceiling fan while you read this.

Final Destination 2 (2003)

Let’s be honest: Final Destination 2 didn’t need to do anything beyond that highway crash to secure its legacy. A sequence so iconic it permanently altered how we view logging trucks—this was the moment the franchise levelled up. We get Kimberly Corman’s chaotic premonition, a twisted domino effect of twisted metal, and that massive log through the windshield. It’s brutal, balletic, and utterly unforgettable.

But the movie doesn’t stop there. It serves up a bloody buffet of deaths: a full-glass-window face crush, an airbag-deployed decapitation, and a fence that slices like warm butter. The tone is pitch-perfect—campy without losing its edge—and the ensemble cast is likable enough that you kind of wish some of them might make it. Spoiler: they don’t. The ending is both hilarious and horrific (BBQ, anyone?), and the pacing never lets up. Final Destination 2 is the rare sequel that outshines the original, and it still holds up two decades later.

Final Destination (2000)

Before the tanning beds and gym machines, there was Alex Browning and his vision of a doomed Flight 180. The OG Final Destination laid the foundation: death as an invisible, vindictive force with a knack for setting elaborate traps. The movie instantly became a cult hit and a genre-defining concept.

Devon Sawa and Ali Larter brought unexpected charm to a film that could’ve easily leaned into disposable-teen tropes. The kills are less flashy than the sequels, but they hit harder—Tod’s shower strangulation and Ms. Lewton’s slow, tragic death-by-kitchen still pack a punch. And the “you can’t cheat death” philosophy gave the series a kind of existential dread that lingered well past the credits. It’s smart, eerie, and refreshingly restrained. A true classic.

Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)

It took 14 years, but the franchise is finally back in fine, fatal form. Bloodlines doesn’t just revive the old formula—it remixes it. With a multi-generational storyline, sharp direction, and a genuinely cool mythology update, this sixth instalment delivers more than just gore. That said… the gore is glorious.

We kick things off with a ‘60s-set aerial restaurant collapse (arguably the best premonition since the highway crash), before cutting to present day as Iris’ granddaughter Stefani tries to unravel the curse tracking their bloodline. The MRI scene is pure chaos. The glass-shard BBQ death is a slow burn in the best way. And yes, Tony Todd returns for a touching—and slightly ominous—farewell as Bludworth. It’s self-aware, stylish, and has more plot than you’d expect. Against all odds, Bloodlines puts the series back on the map.

Final Destination 5 (2011)

By the fifth film, most horror franchises are scraping the barrel—but FD5 surprises. The opening bridge collapse is big-budget and intense, and the kills are gruesome in a “can’t-look-away” kind of way. Death by gymnastics? Chef’s kiss. And we can never, ever, forget the laser-eye surgery scene.

What holds this one back is the forgettable cast and a slightly saggy mid-section. Still, the twist ending is genuinely clever—revealing that the film is actually a prequel to the first, with our “survivors” boarding Flight 180 in the final minutes. It’s a great button on a decent chapter. Not the best, not the worst—just satisfyingly savage.

The Final Destination (2009)

Intended as the swan song for the series, this fourth instalment feels more like an overlong deleted scene. Built around a racetrack disaster (meh) and stuffed with gimmicky 3D kills, it’s less scary than silly.

There are some highlights—death by escalator, a car wash sequence that plays on real anxieties—but overall, this one’s running on fumes. The CGI-heavy effects haven’t aged well, and the pacing feels off. At barely 82 minutes, it almost feels like they were trying to ghost out of their own franchise. Still, it’s not without fun if you’re doing a full rewatch. Just don’t start here.

Final Destination 3 (2006)

The rollercoaster premonition is suitably terrifying (if slightly dated CGI-wise), and the tanning bed scene is genuinely iconic.

But FD3 gets a bit too caught up in its own mythology, with photo clues and a convoluted subplot that starts to feel like Da Vinci Code. The kills are still inventive, and the tone stays true to the series, but the film loses momentum midway through and ends on a grim, arguably pointless note. A fun ride, but ultimately forgettable when stacked up against the others.