What's the best Final Destination movie? (2000-2011)

Alright folks, maybe this isn't a franchise that strictly warrants a poll, but hey, why shouldn't it get 🙂? To be perfectly honest with you, I find these to be genuinely solid entries within their genre—specifically the first and second installments.

I realize that every movie in this series feels somewhat similar—one after another, almost indistinguishable—but regardless, I find them engaging; they range from good to very good... and here are my reasons:

1. I believe the core CONCEPT of the story is masterful for a horror film. My God, truly masterful. Now, could it have been executed better? Probably. But the crucial point is that the premise itself is brilliant, at least in my eyes.

2. My favorite subgenre of horror involves themes of God, Satan, ghosts, demons, and such—and here, for the first time (at least in this specific way), we were introduced to yet another "player" on that stage: Death itself.

3. In a sea of unwatchable modern horror and psychedelic garbage—and I really can't stand psychedelic horror, which is why I always bring it up—these movies are the absolute gold standard for just sitting down and watching something. They aren't cinematic masterpieces, obviously, but I think you all understand what I mean.

As for which film in the franchise stands as my favorite... well, it's the first one. 😁

Partly because it reminds me of back in 2000; I had just finished middle school 🤣. Looking back from today's perspective at the fashion, the tropes, and even the cast—it still feels so fresh that I can hardly believe 14 years have passed. 😲 Man... 14 years...

There’s also something else regarding that film—something purely subjective on my part. I remember when I watched it for the first time, a certain scene sent chills straight down my spine from head to toe. I'm not sure if it's wise to mention this on a forum, but the main character who receives the vision of everyone dying—before boarding the plane in the movie—there was a specific detail about the exact hour the flight departed, and guess who happened to be born at that exact same time... My God. 🤣

I remember watching it with my friends, and everyone turned to look at me right then. 🤣

But without rambling any longer, here is the full list of films in the franchise with my personal ratings:

Final Destination 1 - 7/10
Final Destination 2 - 6.5/10 (actually, the second one is quite strong, nearly on par with the first)
Final Destination 3 - 5.5/10
Final Destination 4 - 5.5/10
Final Destination 5 - 6/10

P. S. I set the poll up so you can select more than one option, but I'd ask that you limit yourselves to two votes maximum—unless you absolutely MUST use a third.

The first one is solid, mostly because the soundtrack absolutely slaps.

As for the sequel... I guess that highway pileup scene is worth a look.

Skip everything else. Just don't waste your time.

northerntiger57 said:The first one is solid, mostly because the soundtrack absolutely slaps.

As for the sequel... I guess that highway pileup scene is worth a look.

Skip everything else. Just don't waste your time.

Hard to argue with that... 👍

I was about 15 minutes into the fifth installment—the one with the bridge collapsing—before I just gave up. It felt way too predictable and repetitive to keep going. It left me wondering if all five of them follow the exact same formula, which makes you think: what’s actually the draw here? Who wants to sit through five movies built on the same single premise?

Then again, I recently sat through the whole Omen series, and you could definitely draw some parallels there. Specifically, The Omen II feels pretty similar to Final Destination—except in the latter, death isn't exactly a personified entity. In both cases, you're basically just watching a sequence of "accidents" play out for every character that shows up.

The first one is the best.
The second one is the worst.
I love how they tied the last one back to the first.

I’ll give it props for the crew, the soundtrack, and the fact that the concept felt somewhat fresh back then.
Everything else is just garbage and a total rip-off of what came before.

Honestly, the first one is my absolute favorite. I mean, don't get me wrong, the others are pretty solid too, but that first movie just hit different because it was all so fresh and original, you know? It definitely left the strongest impression on me.

@wiredraven82 Love the idea for a poll! Even if the franchise isn't exactly groundbreaking or anything, it’s still totally worth voting on.

The first one is a killer idea and they actually nailed the execution. I watched two of the other sequels and they were total nothing burgers—just diluted versions of the original concept.

Dennis Martin6 said:The first one is a killer idea and they actually nailed the execution. I watched two of the other sequels and they were total nothing burgers—just diluted versions of the original concept.

I get that, but for me? It’s always a blast to watch, no matter how predictable or overplayed the tropes get.

As far as I'm concerned, they should just keep rolling with this until they hit ten movies! If franchises like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees can get stretched out, why can't this one? I mean, I know they eventually dilute the magic, but honestly, I don't think I'll ever get tired of this series.

frozenraven39 said:I was about 15 minutes into the fifth installment—the one with the bridge collapsing—before I just gave up. It felt way too predictable and repetitive to keep going. It left me wondering if all five of them follow the exact same formula, which makes you think: what’s actually the draw here? Who wants to sit through five movies built on the same single premise?

Then again, I recently sat through the whole Omen series, and you could definitely draw some parallels there. Specifically, The Omen II feels pretty similar to Final Destination—except in the latter, death isn't exactly a personified entity. In both cases, you're basically just watching a sequence of "accidents" play out for every character that shows up.

That’s a fair point, but you can't exactly blame the original for how the studio handles the sequels—I try to view the first one as its own entity whenever possible. Besides, I don't know if you'll agree, but because of this endless string of sequels (and it looks like they aren't stopping anytime soon), this franchise has basically become the modern-day equivalent of the old Friday the 13th series—though you could probably make the same argument for Saw and its various entries. With Friday the 13th, you knew exactly what you were getting into, yet people kept watching it, haha. Well, maybe not everyone, but those who did watch certainly knew the drill. 🤣

One aspect—and certainly not the only one—that makes the duology of Final Destination feel superior to the third, fourth, and fifth films is the way the second one is actually woven into the narrative of the first. They even bring back that female character from the first unit—even though Death didn't take her out then—which gives the story some actual cohesion. But everything after that? All those sequels... Good God, I found myself wondering: if you're going to keep making these, at least give us something shockingly new. Have Death show up in a cloak or something, haha; just stop making it the same thing every single time.

cosmiclynx57 said:Honestly, the first one is my absolute favorite. I mean, don't get me wrong, the others are pretty solid too, but that first movie just hit different because it was all so fresh and original, you know? It definitely left the strongest impression on me.

@wiredraven82 Love the idea for a poll! Even if the franchise isn't exactly groundbreaking or anything, it’s still totally worth voting on.

👍

cosmiclynx57 said:I get that, but for me? It’s always a blast to watch, no matter how predictable or overplayed the tropes get.

As far as I'm concerned, they should just keep rolling with this until they hit ten movies! If franchises like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees can get stretched out, why can't this one? I mean, I know they eventually dilute the magic, but honestly, I don't think I'll ever get tired of this series.

That’s exactly it—you watch them knowing exactly how the plot beats will play out, yet you still sit through it, haha. I’m the same way.👍

It used to be the same deal with Friday the 13th and stuff like that... not to mention those Halloween sequels where you just know Michael Myers is going to survive; you could hit him with an atomic bomb—just him, mind you—and somehow he'd still be standing.🤣

P. S. Friday the 13th actually has much more in common with that whole repetitive cycle seen in Final Destination in terms of being "more of the same," but I couldn't resist throwing Michael Myers into the mix.🙂

Just to add my two cents regarding Final Destination 5—I have to admit, that one actually surprised me quite a bit with how well it holds up. In my opinion, it is genuinely better than the third and fourth installments... just fundamentally better.🙂

northerntiger57 said:The first one is solid, mostly because the soundtrack absolutely slaps.

As for the sequel... I guess that highway pileup scene is worth a look.

Skip everything else. Just don't waste your time.

Yeah, couldn't have said it better myself.

Great topic/poll. Personally, I’m a huge fan of this franchise. Honestly, the main thing that keeps you hooked is just seeing the sheer variety of bizarre ways someone can actually die. 😲 That’s really what sets this series apart from your typical horror flicks. 🙏

As for my top "FD" picks, I went with the first one and the fifth. My reasons: 1. It completely reinvented the genre by introducing a concept we hadn't seen before—the premise itself is just brilliant. 👍 I’ll admit, certain scenes actually gave me a physical jolt—it’s the only entry that truly rattled me (not to mention that excellent, chilly and creepy soundtrack); the others leaned much more heavily on pure gore. Even so, the death sequences in the subsequent films always left me 😲. I mean, what kind of twisted mind comes up with that? Not in a bad way, obviously—haha—but you have to admire the creativity required. 😬 🙏 Plus, the original has this uniquely dark, brooding atmosphere that feels distinct.

I almost included the second one because it’s fantastic too, but since the poll limits us to two, I stuck with the fifth. That highway pile-up is such a great sequence—pure adrenaline. And it works so well as a direct follow-up to the first.

The third one is alright—solid enough. The accident on the roller coaster was also very well executed.

The fourth one is actually my weakest pick, even though it's the only one I saw in theaters. I wouldn't call it bad, per se—more of a guilty pleasure given how much I love the "FD" franchise.

The fifth really blew me away, primarily because of that plot twist at the end. It turns out it’s effectively a prequel to the original. 😲 🙏 I should have realized something was off when Sam and Molly were boarding that plane. Once we see Alex and the rest of the group getting kicked off/exiting the aircraft, I was just 😲. Of course, the bridge collapse scene was genius again, even if the CGI looked a little cheap when that metal rod goes through the guy's eye. 😛 But still... the soundtrack is killer here too, especially the opening and closing themes.

All in all, I absolutely love this franchise.

Emily Ward56 said:Great topic/poll. Personally, I’m a huge fan of this franchise. Honestly, the main thing that keeps you hooked is just seeing the sheer variety of bizarre ways someone can actually die. 😲 That’s really what sets this series apart from your typical horror flicks. 🙏

As for my top "FD" picks, I went with the first one and the fifth. My reasons: 1. It completely reinvented the genre by introducing a concept we hadn't seen before—the premise itself is just brilliant. 👍 I’ll admit, certain scenes actually gave me a physical jolt—it’s the only entry that truly rattled me (not to mention that excellent, chilly and creepy soundtrack); the others leaned much more heavily on pure gore. Even so, the death sequences in the subsequent films always left me 😲. I mean, what kind of twisted mind comes up with that? Not in a bad way, obviously—haha—but you have to admire the creativity required. 😬 🙏 Plus, the original has this uniquely dark, brooding atmosphere that feels distinct.

I almost included the second one because it’s fantastic too, but since the poll limits us to two, I stuck with the fifth. That highway pile-up is such a great sequence—pure adrenaline. And it works so well as a direct follow-up to the first.

The third one is alright—solid enough. The accident on the roller coaster was also very well executed.

The fourth one is actually my weakest pick, even though it's the only one I saw in theaters. I wouldn't call it bad, per se—more of a guilty pleasure given how much I love the "FD" franchise.

The fifth really blew me away, primarily because of that plot twist at the end. It turns out it’s effectively a prequel to the original. 😲 🙏 I should have realized something was off when Sam and Molly were boarding that plane. Once we see Alex and the rest of the group getting kicked off/exiting the aircraft, I was just 😲. Of course, the bridge collapse scene was genius again, even if the CGI looked a little cheap when that metal rod goes through the guy's eye. 😛 But still... the soundtrack is killer here too, especially the opening and closing themes.

All in all, I absolutely love this franchise.

👍 Nice post. And yeah, true—like I said, the fifth one is a really strong film, right up there with the first one, maybe alongside the second, but the way they handled the narrative in the fifth was just great.

Man, wouldn't it be absolutely killer if they actually made a series?

I feel like it could actually work so well. Imagine if every season had like 10 episodes, and each season featured 10 main characters who just... die off one by one in every single episode... you know, sort of like that, where every season brings in a totally fresh cast of actors...
Just a quick little idea I cooked up on the fly.

cosmiclynx57 said:Man, wouldn't it be absolutely killer if they actually made a series?

I feel like it could actually work so well. Imagine if every season had like 10 episodes, and each season featured 10 main characters who just... die off one by one in every single episode... you know, sort of like that, where every season brings in a totally fresh cast of actors...
Just a quick little idea I cooked up on the fly.

But look, the Winchester brothers already went head-to-head with Mr. Death in the Supernatural series.😁

Still, I get what you mean—it's a solid concept, and I’d definitely tune in.

Anyway, getting back to this whole Final Destination fifth installment thing—it was refreshing to see that the fifth movie actually held its own against the third and fourth entries across the board. So, following that lead, it would be great if someone actually stepped up to handle a sixth film with a real, high-caliber Hollywood script—you know, something substantial. If they need to tweak the established lore or throw in a massive shocker—like that huge twist we saw in the fifth one—they should go for it.

For instance, if I were calling the shots (director's hat on, haha), I’d want to introduce the mystery of WHO—or rather, WHAT—is actually sending those warnings in the first place.😁 Even if it turns out to be some kind of "positive" force, there needs to be that lingering sense of dread.

I honestly won't understand directors who take on a sixth installment only to churn out the exact same formula we saw in the second, third, or fourth movies. Seriously, WTF? At that point, it's just a blatant cash grab.

Maybe we should suggest Wana takes a crack at the sixth one, haha...

wiredraven82 said:But look, the Winchester brothers already went head-to-head with Mr. Death in the Supernatural series.😁

Still, I get what you mean—it's a solid concept, and I’d definitely tune in.

Anyway, getting back to this whole Final Destination fifth installment thing—it was refreshing to see that the fifth movie actually held its own against the third and fourth entries across the board. So, following that lead, it would be great if someone actually stepped up to handle a sixth film with a real, high-caliber Hollywood script—you know, something substantial. If they need to tweak the established lore or throw in a massive shocker—like that huge twist we saw in the fifth one—they should go for it.

For instance, if I were calling the shots (director's hat on, haha), I’d want to introduce the mystery of WHO—or rather, WHAT—is actually sending those warnings in the first place.😁 Even if it turns out to be some kind of "positive" force, there needs to be that lingering sense of dread.

I honestly won't understand directors who take on a sixth installment only to churn out the exact same formula we saw in the second, third, or fourth movies. Seriously, WTF? At that point, it's just a blatant cash grab.

Maybe we should suggest Wana takes a crack at the sixth one, haha...

I've only ever seen the pilot episode of Supernatural, so is the vibe actually similar to a Final Destination film?

Honestly, you could even pull off a killer parody of Final Destination. Imagine some crazy scenario where someone gets their head sliced off, but they just slap it back on and keep playing the game, or a girlfriend gets torn apart but somehow pulls herself back together because she's got Werewolf blood in her veins... wouldn't that be wild?😂

cosmiclynx57 said:I've only ever seen the pilot episode of Supernatural, so is the vibe actually similar to a Final Destination film?

Honestly, you could even pull off a killer parody of Final Destination. Imagine some crazy scenario where someone gets their head sliced off, but they just slap it back on and keep playing the game, or a girlfriend gets torn apart but somehow pulls herself back together because she's got Werewolf blood in her veins... wouldn't that be wild?😂

It’s honestly a stretch to say you could ever truly equate *Supernatural* with a *Final Destination* film—not when you look at the actual substance of the storytelling. I mean, let's be real: *Supernatural* is built on this massive, sprawling mythology filled with spooky entities, various apparitions, and these cosmic "forces" (including Mr. Death himself). It’s essentially a buffet of everything you’ve ever seen in a horror movie. If you’ve watched even a handful of paranormal flicks, you’ll recognize almost every single creature or phenomenon they throw at the screen. It covers the absolute spectrum of the supernatural.

Each individual episode tackles a different subject matter—though, to be fair, the series maintains its momentum through a single overarching narrative thread while simultaneously exploring those supernatural phenomena on the periphery. Honestly, given your tastes, I think you’d actually get a kick out of it.

I was once a die-hard Supernatural fan—someone who followed every single episode religiously right up through the end of Season 7. Then, for reasons I can’t quite pinpoint, I just stopped. It wasn't that the show had become unbearable or that I'd grown tired of the formula; it wasn't a case of "giving up" out of frustration. It was more of a sudden, unexplained hiatus. That said, my intentions haven't changed—I fully plan on circling back to finish every last episode.

If you dive into Supernatural, you’re basically signing up for the full buffet—everything from Wendigs and Werewolves to Vampires and even Satan himself. And honestly, Satan isn't just some background extra; he’s a major player who stays woven into the core premises right alongside the Winchester brothers. Then you’ve got the whole celestial hierarchy thrown into the mix—Angels and Archangels included. Though, I will say, one of the Angels turns out to be an absolute disaster of a human being throughout the series. 😁The demons are present, the ghosts are lurking, Mr. Death is hovering—honestly, the whole crew is there, haha. You even get those specific episodes that dive into the manifestations of ancient deities from various pagan mythologies, whether we’re talking Germanic, Norse, Sumerian, Roman, or Greek traditions. For the most part, though, they tend to play the villains.

There is this one specific scene where Dean Winchester tries to strike a Deal with Mr. Death to take down the Devil—basically attempting to talk Mr. Death into intervening, even though he’s playing that strictly neutral, "not my problem" role. 😁 Imagine if they actually wrote an episode where Lucifer—the literal Devil—just absolutely dismantles those ancient Gods. I’m talking about him taking them down like flies because he’s fundamentally more powerful than they are. Personally, I would love to see that play out; those ancient deities are nothing but absolute garbage.

The series eventually dives deep into the mechanics of Hell, Heaven, and Purgatory—and honestly, things get incredibly interesting once Purgatory enters the fray. It introduces this whole layer of beings, these specific forces that can actually give both Demons and Angels a run for their money. It’s a messy, layered concept—I can’t exactly sit here and map out the entire cosmology without you actually sitting down to watch it. It’s just too convoluted to summarize in a single paragraph.

Look, this show is a total hybrid—you’ve got genuine horror elements, especially in those early seasons, mixed in with solid action, heavy drama, and even some actual comedy when it hits right. Honestly? Just man up, give it a shot, and start watching. I really think it could be right up your alley. You can't judge the whole thing based on the pilot alone; I remember sitting there myself, totally on the fence, thinking, "I don't know... maybe I'll stick with it, maybe I won't." But once you actually dive in? It becomes incredibly addictive.

cosmiclynx57 said:I've only ever seen the pilot episode of Supernatural, so is the vibe actually similar to a Final Destination film?

Honestly, you could even pull off a killer parody of Final Destination. Imagine some crazy scenario where someone gets their head sliced off, but they just slap it back on and keep playing the game, or a girlfriend gets torn apart but somehow pulls herself back together because she's got Werewolf blood in her veins... wouldn't that be wild?😂

🤣

1 is easily the best of the bunch
2 has the absolute best opening scene... I mean, how many times can I rewatch 2 before it stops working? Every single time those deaths hit on that highway, I get goosebumps. And honestly, the rest of the deaths are just as messed up, in that specific way...
3 Aside from a pretty solid "intro" involving that death train (it doesn't quite hit the level of the highway scene, but it’s enough to make me think twice before hopping on a train in Chicago lol), the movie is alright. But let's be real, the most intense part of the whole thing is when those two idiots are at the tanning salon and that "Rollercoaster of Love" song starts playing, and then—well, you know what happens next while they're basically naked haha
4 To be honest, I don't really remember it. All I recall is walking out of the theater feeling like the whole thing was total garbage.
5 My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I remember the opening scene being pretty decent, and I actually liked how they tied everything back to the first movie at the end.
....I voted for 1 and 2 because of those opening scenes.

Drew Wright5 said:1 is easily the best of the bunch
2 has the absolute best opening scene... I mean, how many times can I rewatch 2 before it stops working? Every single time those deaths hit on that highway, I get goosebumps. And honestly, the rest of the deaths are just as messed up, in that specific way...
3 Aside from a pretty solid "intro" involving that death train (it doesn't quite hit the level of the highway scene, but it’s enough to make me think twice before hopping on a train in Chicago lol), the movie is alright. But let's be real, the most intense part of the whole thing is when those two idiots are at the tanning salon and that "Rollercoaster of Love" song starts playing, and then—well, you know what happens next while they're basically naked haha
4 To be honest, I don't really remember it. All I recall is walking out of the theater feeling like the whole thing was total garbage.
5 My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I remember the opening scene being pretty decent, and I actually liked how they tied everything back to the first movie at the end.
....I voted for 1 and 2 because of those opening scenes.

I remember we took a bus trip to Disneyland once, and I brought a few DVDs to watch since it was an overnight trip.
Some woman picked Final Destination film 3 without having any idea what it was about, and I didn't even realize it while I was handing it to her.
Watching it and making comments during the ride was a blast.