Revisiting The Lasting Horror Of Final Destination
The release of the new movie teaser, some of us are reminded of that one final destination scene that ruined our childhood, right?
A cinematic moment that distinctly etched itself in our collective memory as kids growing up is a wheel of a race car that flies out of a stadium as a fire ensues and kills a girl. If you guessed The Final Destination 1 as the movie, my friend, you know of the split second of horror(s) that the movie franchise imprinted on us. Today, these films are a cultural touchstone !
Now, with Final Destination: Bloodlines teaser trailer out, it’s the perfect time to go down the memory lane and revisit what made the franchise such a cultural phenomenon. The franchise has a reputation for not only terrifying us through horror, but it’s those gut-wrenching premonitions also-of being hunted by fate in the most creatively gruesome ways imaginable- to face death.
Unlike other psychological horror-thriller films, what set these films apart and become so memorable, is the fact that the antagonist of the film, death itself, hunted its preys. No masked killers, no psychopathic kids, no supernatural monster creeping from the cracks of everyday life. It was simply our fears taking centre stage, tapping into the "what if".
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After over two decades since the original film made us question what fear is and whether we really want to drive right behind a logging truck, or sit for a LASIK surgery, the film is making a comeback (with new cast of unlucky souls who'll regret getting out of bed that morning) -to scar a new generation of kids, who need to know you can't cheat death.
As usual, the film promises to combine its signature themes of fate, death, and mortality and return of ominous William Bludworth. You can expect better visual effects given in the last two decades, technology has improved drastically! And one could certainly expect to be made aware of dangers lurking around in everyday settings.
But here's the truth, you can't really guess how Final Destination can scare you by turning ordinary into ominous. It could be a loose screw, a flight that catches fire, a glass of water...anything could be a butterfly effect.
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Part of what made the franchise so memorable is the fact that all of us tapped into our primal fears- the perfect recipe for a good horror slasher. Death is omnipresent and that makes is it great a villain to scar people even after the credits roll. Plus, the psychological impact the creative death scenes had were certainly paranoia-inducing yet somehow entertaining. These films hit the sweet spot between dark humour, creativity, and thrills as everyday life events could turn into something unexpected-much like real life.
For those who grew up watching with the franchise, it’s more than a sequel that's making its way up on the big screen. It’s almost remembering the piece of us, we had long forgotten. The five parts of Final Destination for many of us are part of our core memory growing. A reminder of lasting power fear of human beings.
So, if you have found yourself thinking "Final destination moment waiting to happen" on an old escalator, you are not alone!