Final Destination: Bloodlines isn’t just the latest chapter in the long-running horror series—it’s a fiery love letter to the entire franchise, a gore-soaked spectacle that dares to blend practical effects mastery with world-record-breaking ambition.

The towering opening sequence that redefines Final Destination spectacle

The sixth installment in the Final Destination series opens with a bang—literally. A brand-new, original set piece takes center stage in the form of a 400-foot Skyview Tower, a fictional structure that perfectly channels the iconic vibes of Toronto’s CN Tower and Seattle’s Space Needle. Built from scratch for the film, the rotating glass-floor restaurant atop the tower becomes the stage for Death’s most elaborate dance yet. In a flash of 1960s glamour and carnage, we witness Iris (Brec Bassinger) experience the franchise’s signature premonition. The crowded tower erupts into a chain reaction of disaster—glass shatters, concrete crumbles, and flames roar. It’s a sequence that not only pays homage to the original film’s elevator-intro thrill but pushes it into IMAX-fueled vertigo. “We wanted to make you feel the vertigo of being 400 feet in the air,” says co-director Adam Stein. “And seeing it on a 60-foot screen… it’s not just horror. It’s experiential.” The set was nothing short of cinematic ambition run wild. Over seven different stages were constructed to simulate the restaurant’s collapse, including one that was literally tilted 30 degrees to mimic the floor breaking in half. As Stein and co-director Zach Lipovsky put it, the entire setup cost more than the first film they ever made. This wasn’t just a cool backdrop. It was the genesis of a new death sequence—one that combines the practical grandeur of a Roland Emmerich disaster with the intimate, gruesome creativity that only Final Destination can deliver.

Record-breaking fire stunt turns practical effects into a hero moment

Among the chaos inside the Skyview Tower is a moment that’s already ignited the horror community: the full-body burn of Mrs. Fuller. Played by Yvette Ferguson, a 71-year-old stuntwoman pulled out of retirement for the role, her immolation isn’t just a shocking visual—it’s a world record in the making. “We lit so many different people on fire,” Lipovsky told Entertainment Weekly, “including breaking the world record for oldest person on fire with Yvette Ferguson.” Ferguson’s silver dress, engulfed in flames during the film’s opening sequence, isn’t just a fiery costume—it’s a blazing milestone. The stunt team has submitted the feat to Guinness World Records, though they’ve yet to hear back. But that hasn’t stopped fans and creators alike from celebrating the sheer boldness of the moment. Bassinger, who was on set for the burn, recalls the atmosphere: “It was beautiful. Everyone started clapping… She was so pumped.” It’s the kind of practical, in-camera effect that Final Destination has always thrived on—a genre series rarely given the budget or freedom to pull off real fire, real risk, and real spectacle.

Death gets personal with practical gore that won’t let you look away

If the tower collapse is Bloodlines' logline-level spectacle, then Richard Harmon’s scenes are the gritty undercut that ground it in the franchise’s DNA. Playing Erik, a descendant of Iris, Harmon delivers a death sequence so painfully inventive it feels like comic book gore brought to life. In one sequence, Erik’s nasal piercing becomes a trap. As a fan spins with a chain looped around it, the chain tightens—pulling him upward by his nose, stretching it grotesquely, all while fire begins to spread beneath him. “There was a real fire,” Harmon says. “I didn’t have to fake anything… my pants started to feel a little warm.” For safety, the crew used a magnetic release on the chain, but for close-up shots, Harmon famously asked to remove the safety to get the real effect. The result? A stretched, horrifyingly real nose shot that speaks to the film’s commitment to practical — and punishing — effects. “If you’re gonna mess with Final Destination, you gotta mess with it in a practical way,” Stein said. And that’s exactly what they did.

Final Destination Bloodlines is a masterclass in genre evolution and fan service

More than just a sequel, Bloodlines is a smart, self-aware reinvention. It reaches back to the origin of the franchise with its '60s-set prologue, while pushing forward with modern filmmaking tech used in the most old-school way possible: real sets, real fire, real danger. With writers like Guy Busick (Scream 5 & 6) and a story credit from Jon Watts, the team behind the film clearly knows how to balance fan expectations with creative risk. And they’ve done it without losing the R-rated edge that makes Final Destination stand apart from every other disaster or horror franchise. As Lipovsky puts it, “You get that disaster movie Hollywood feeling, but at an extremely R-rated tone. You get that Emmerich spectacle, but you see the people explode and light on fire and falter in their deaths, and you don’t cut away.” That’s the magic of Final Destination: Bloodlines. It’s not just about escaping death—it’s about making death look this wildly creative, brutally real, and insanely fun one last time.

Final Destination Bloodlines hits theaters May 16.