Death has a design, and it includes you watching “Final Destination Bloodlines” before reading this article, as there are heavy spoilers ahead.

“Final Destination” is one of the most underrated horror franchises out there. Sure, it isn’t as influential as some of the heavier hitters, but with the low number of entries comes a higher batting average. Even the worst of the “Final Destination” movies still has some great kills and novel concepts for the franchise. Indeed, what makes this horror series stand out is how inventive it is, taking a rather simple concept and constantly exploring new aspects of it.

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There is no iconic villain like Freddy or Michael Myers here, but that’s because the kills themselves stay with you in a way few kills in other franchises do. There’s no need for a memorable singular villain when you can traumatize an entire generation into not driving behind a log truck (arguably THE iconic villain of this franchise). “Final Destination” weaponizes anxiety and turns mundane situations into terrifying monsters, and even without a corporeal villain, this is a franchise where there is no way to escape, no survival. Plus, each new movie adds to the mythology in creative ways, even tying them all together without feeling contrived.

The latest entry, “Final Destination Bloodlines” is in many ways the best movie in the entire series, a movie all about the legacy of this franchise, a movie that echoes what’s come before while clearly being its own unique story. You don’t have to watch the previous movies to enjoy this Rube Goldberg horror fest, but to know what’s come before only enhances the entire experience. Case in point, how “Bloodlines” breaks the mold and does something no other “Final Destination” movie has done before: it makes you dread the death of the characters.

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From the very first “Final Destination,” in which Carter (Kerr Smith) gets into a fight he didn’t need to get into with Alex (Devon Sawa) following his premonition of a plane crash, the franchise has always included s***head characters you actively want to see die a horrible death. Sure, you root for at least a couple of the main characters to make it, whether that’s Alex, Clear (Ali Larter), or Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but there is no denying that the most satisfying parts of each movie is seeing the jerks die.

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The death of Ashley (Chelan Simmons) and Ashlyn (Crystal Lowe) via tanning salon is horrifying, but what also makes it hilariously and exhilaratingly fun is (beside the stunning smash cut to their coffins) that they are the absolute worst. Likewise, “Final Destination 5” is filled with characters you can’t wait to see die, from the pervert Isaac (P. J. Byrne) having his head crushed by a Buddha statue at a massage parlor after being a bigoted pig to the staff, to Peter (Miles Fisher) being stabbed to death with a meat spit while trying to murder his supposed friends.

That’s not the case with “Final Destination Bloodlines.” In this movie, which follows a college student who believes her entire bloodline is about to be eliminated after her grandmother foiled death’s plan decades ago, there are no jerks you want to see die.

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Well, that’s not exactly accurate. There is one single character that truly deserves their fate, which you can’t help but cheer at when they meet a brutal death. That is a little kid in the cold open (which takes place in the ’60s) who keeps bothering everyone around him, disobeying direct instructions, and is indirectly responsible for the Sky View disaster that kickstarts the story. When that kid gets killed, via a piano dropping on him, it’s the biggest cheer-worthy moment in the movie, and a great argument for the magic of seeing movies in theaters.

Unlike previous “Final Destination” movies, which have been about self preservation, “Bloodlines” is about family and about community. They are not working together to save themselves, but working together to save each other. What’s more, the fact that the inciting disaster took place decades earlier means that the family members were not involved with it at all. We never saw them as being part of Death’s design, so as far as they know (at first), their family is dying for no reason at all. It’s kind of as if “The Fall of the House of Usher” was about decent people rather than rich monsters.

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After the surviving members of the Campbell family finally listen to Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) and start taking the killings seriously, the film gains a rather emotional undertone, as we the audience know there is no escape, it’s just a matter of time before they all get killed. Seeing Richard Harmon’s Erik desperately try to save his brother Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) even as he learns that they are only half-brothers and he’s technically safe from the curse, it’s hard not to get emotional and feel bad for the characters.

Sure, there is still a lot of silly fun in the Rube Goldberg-like deaths, like a horrific death via MRI machine, but the approach here is different because you’re excited for a second, then back to feeling bad about the pain this family is going through. In many ways this movie is the final bow for the “Final Destination” franchise, best exemplified by Tony Todd’s monologue serving as a final farewell to horror fans that’s the best encapsulation of the message of this franchise — death is inevitable, so might as well enjoy life while you can. Just don’t be a jerk.

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