With this year’s Final Destination: Bloodlines threatening to bring a major horror franchise of the 2000s rushing back into the hearts and minds of the people, just when we need it the most, there’s hardly a better time than to look back at the franchise that was. The five-film series, which kicked off in 2000 with a movie adapted from an X-Files spec script and follows Death’s increasingly elaborate design to claim the lives of people who somehow avoided disaster, is one of the most thrillingly consistent franchises of the modern age, so this was a particularly tough ranking to hammer out.

The Entire Final Destination Franchise Ranked

#5 The Final Destination (2009)

I have a chinchilla-level soft spot for The Final Destination, and it’s not just because of its extreme willingness to objectify male characters at the same level as the female characters, but even I must agree with the general populace on this one. It’s demonstrably at a lower level than the others. There’s no appearance by franchise stalwart Tony Todd (RIP), for one thing, and the questionable 2009 CGI is also incredibly damaging for a franchise that is primarily a delivery system for horrible onscreen deaths. That said, there is something charming about the brutal efficiency of its storytelling. It’s painting in strokes so broad it almost becomes a fable, and it is still more clever than it gets credit for in its Rube Goldberg approach to Death, especially in the way that most people become undone by their own good luck tokens.

#4 Final Destination 2 (2003)

Final Destination 2 is definitely the movie in the franchise that I’ve flip-flopped on the most over the years. Its conceit, following Death tracking down people whose lives were saved by characters from the first movie who shouldn’t have been alive in the first place, is solid. Plus, it has that unimpeachable opening sequence with the 18,000 car pileup on the freeway. However, there’s a lot of running around in circles between the death sequences that never amounts to much, A. J. Cook delivers one of the blander protagonist performances in a franchise that isn’t exactly known for textured and interesting leads, and the mini-premonitions she has during the main part of the movie are chintzy and goofy.

#3 Final Destination 3 (2006)

Forgive me for the inexcusable pun, but this one is a roller coaster ride. Mary Elizabeth Winstead delivers a solid leading lady performance, it’s downright nasty to its dead meat characters, and the “prophetic photos” trick is a fun way to get the characters involved in trying to stop their own deaths. This one also suffers from a severe lack of Tony Todd (he has a voice-only cameo at the theme park in the beginning), but at least it remembers that the franchise sometimes gives Death a theme song (“Rocky Mountain High” in the first movie, “Dust in the Wind” in FD5). The one they chose here – “Turn Around, Look At Me” by The Lettermen – is maybe the most perfectly creepy oldies needle drop this side of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.”

#2 Final Destination 5 (2011)

This miraculous sequel is not only deeply interested in ways to push the premise of the franchise forward (“take a life, steal their remaining time” is one of the most narratively satisfying approaches to giving the dead meat characters something to do), it also contains some of the best pre-death sequences in the franchise. Every installment has at least one terrific Rube Goldberg sequence where random events pile up into a violent death (the beauty parlor in TFD, the fire escape in FD2, and the tanning beds in FD3 come to mind). Still, there has hardly been a better tension-building setpiece than the “sharp screw falling on the balance beam” scene in this movie. It harnesses the wicked glee that is always present in Death’s fuckery throughout the franchise, but it also captures the way that some of the most effective horror comes from the most mundane, everyday threats.

#1 Final Destination (2000)

It’s very common for any ranking to have the first movie at the top, but frankly, I don’t know that this is the case for Final Destination. Because all the movies are so good, and the sequels are bigger and splashier (sometimes literally), the original 2000 installment can get short shrift. And sure, later on they found more ways to push the envelope of what is set up here, but it is set up so damn effectively. What this movie lacks in the slickness of the sequels, it makes up for with brutality. Moments like seeing a strangled teenager’s veins burst in his eyes or the miserable way that Ms. Newton clings to life until she just can’t anymore during her kitchen misadventure have a profound power. This is by far the most emotionally excoriating installment in the franchise, where the weight of the deaths is felt by the characters in a real way, rather than just as yet another link in the supernatural slasher chain the movie is building.

The franchise’s ability to play on common real-life fears is also introduced with one of its brashest set pieces. That Flight 180 explosion is second only to Final Destination 2’s logging truck for lodging right in the back of your brain for the rest of your life.

Welcome back to Horror 101, a series of articles where we explain horror movie legends and their lore. For beginners, the confused, or just those who need a refresher, these articles are for you.

All six episodes of The Creep Tapes have come and gone. After the finale ended, I realized my holiday spirit had disappeared alongside Peachfuzz. I sat in my sadness for a bit, thinking of everything this murderous icon has taught me about obsession over the years. That is when I realized the best way to avoid falling into a show hole while waiting for Shudder to greenlight the show for a second season was to keep writing about it.

So, I donned my Peachfuzz apparel and asked for the keys to the Horror 101 column. 

Now that the first season of The Creep Tapes is over, it is a great time to unpack what we think we know about this beast. I hope that by explaining the few things we have learned and making some educated guesses (or wild assumptions), I can help more people discover that they might have a little Peachfuzz inside them. Or, at the very least, encourage more of you to revisit one of my favorite found footage franchises. 

All About Peachfuzz 

Creep (2014) and Creep 2 (2017) made us believe Peachfuzz was a way for our protagonist to fuck with his future victims. The character (played by Mark Duplass) is known for tricking filmmakers into joining him in isolated areas with the promise of $1000. He immediately makes things weird as he tests their limits, almost daring them to run with each red flag he raises. So, when he slips the Peachfuzz mask on and goes nonverbal, many viewers figure this is more foreplay before he gets to the kill. Seeing as Josef (his alias in the first film) is attracted to the filmmakers he selects, so it scans. More importantly, what is a harmless kink in the grand scheme of things? While the fanbase loves the creepy little wolf, we had no way of knowing how important he would become to the franchise.

What Is the Origin of Peachfuzz?

One of the things that The Creep Tapes did was show us that Peachfuzz has been around way longer than we thought. In the season finale, “Mom (and Albert)”, we meet the woman who raised a stone-cold killer. We discover she calls him Wolfie and even introduces him to her new boyfriend that way. She also shares that when he was six years old, he woke up from a bad dream and bit the head off of his stuffed wolf. She partially repaired the toy, which is also named Wolfie, but left part of the neck open to remind him of what he did. We also discover that his memories of being breastfed are false. His mother tells him that she could not breastfeed because he was too aggressive. She claimed she couldn’t breastfeed because he kept biting and tugging, which made her bleed. 

All of this information comes out in the weirdest conversations. However, it proves that Peachfuzz may have been inside of our favorite serial killer all along. We now know that this wolf business is not Maybelline, but he was born with it. At least if we believe his mother. Perhaps there is only one wolf inside of him, and everything else is the lie he tells himself at night. This is especially interesting because in the penultimate episode, “Brandt“, we watch him meltdown and talk to his alter ego. We assumed we were watching him play with himself, but what if it’s not so simple? In the third episode, “Jeremy”, he shows the victim a tape of a priest trying to exorcise Peachfuzz. In light of what we learn from his mom, and the arguments he has with himself when he’s alone, that exorcism might be a lowkey real attempt to get the Fuzz out of him.

What Makes a Peachfuzz Tick?

Due to the previous films, I suspected Peachfuzz appeared when our protagonist was aroused. The character is clearly working through some stuff, and I am not here to judge. However, now that we have a season of The Creep Tapes under our belt, it feels more like Peachfuzz comes out in times of distress. This is very similar to the way most media portrays a split personality. Whenever our Josef/Wolfie/The Creep has too many feelings or if things are not going his way, then Peachfuzz is there. 

When none of his weird behaviors run Aaron off in Creep, we meet Peachfuzz growling at a door and wiggling his hips. The Peachfuzz mask resurfaces as the Creep prepares to end Aaron on the bench. The gesture seemingly signifies that this is the end of this relationship. This is a breakup, and some part of him feels the weight of it, even if it is just another day in the murder business.

In Creep 2, Sara seems unphased by everything our creep (who now goes by Aaron) throws at her. So, he puts his wolf head on and takes her for a drive. When she does not answer his questions about the mask with ridicule or fear, this seems to cause him further confusion. It should also be noted that all of the Creep’s victims (that we have seen) have been men aside from Sara. So, it’s interesting that she gets to see the mask again when he gives her his trusted axe and tells her to behead him. We also see a picture of Peachfuzz in what we assume is Sara’s locket in The Creep Tapes episode “Brad“. This confirms what we already knew about her fate, but it also means he kept a trinket.

Even when the Creep is not wearing his Peachfuzz mask, he finds a way to work his wolf obsession into the moment. When he kills a guy named Dave at the beginning of Creep 2, we find out a stuffed wolf was part of the bizarre care package he sent this victim. The Creep refers to it as Baby Peachfuzz. He also reveals a hidden camera inside the toy, making it his witness and accomplice. 

Peachfuzz gets a lot of screen time in The Creep Tapes. However, it’s the Brandt episode where the Creep argues with Peachfuzz (after presumably being stood up) that stands out. Again, this wolf comes out during moments of heightened emotions. When he believes Brandt has stood him up, Peachfuzz is there to argue, play, and remind him that he is not alone. The Creep shares that this murder was supposed to be his first solo project, which makes it seem like Peachfuzz has been part of him all along. The two reconcile and kill the very late Brandt with their trusted axe. However, many things come up during this (manic) episode, which might explain why he’s heading to his mom’s house in the finale the next time we see him.

In “Mom (and Albert)”, the Creep seems fine to go by wolfie in his mother’s home. He also shows a very possessive streak when it comes to his mother. So, because I have been tracking the mood swings and the Peachfuzz appearances, I knew it was coming. The Creep/Wolfie told Albert he would let him live. However, he also prepared the wolf mask and his trusted axe. We all knew when Peachfuzz danced up behind Albert, this meant death was imminent. After all, the unfiltered rage of his mom having a man in the home interrupting his idyllic Forrest Gump recreation with his mother was too much. These were too many emotions for one awkward serial killer, and it became a job for the Fuzz.

What Is With Peachfuzz and Full Frontal Nudity?

We’re not sure, but we’re also not complaining.

Where Is Peachfuzz Now?

The short answer is Peachfuzz is probably stashed away in a bag somewhere. At least physically. However, emotionally…he’s probably waiting for the Creep to snap and call on him to do what he does best. Like most people on the internet, I got my imaginary psych degree from film and television. So, I am no expert, but I know that the Creep and his alter ego are not yet integrated. This might also explain why he mistakenly thought parts of Forrest Gump were childhood memories and that he breastfed until kindergarten.

If Peachfuzz is a different personality, there would be some gaps in time. While I always assumed this persona was his way of pretending he’s not a stone-cold killer, I am not so sure anymore. Honestly, he could just be doing a very long version of The Three Faces of Eve (1957) or some other movie about Dissociative Identity Disorder. Or, more likely, Creep creators Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass are screwing with us for their own entertainment. Netflix has raised their prices again, so we all have to find fun where we can now.

What Should You Watch Now That The Creep Tapes Is Over?

Nothing can ever truly scratch the itch left in the wake of The Creep Tapes. However, while we wait for news of a second season (or third movie), I think these titles might ease the Peachfuzz-shaped hole we all have.

My Dinner with Andre (dir. Louis Malle)

Where You Can Watch: Max

I did not mistakenly list this comedic drama starring André Gregory and Wallace Shawn. I think it’s in the DNA of this franchise, and shares many themes with the Creep Universe. Plus, it is referenced in the “Jeremy” episode. So, I think I nailed it with this recommendation.

Misery (dir. Rob Reiner)

Where You Can Watch: VOD

I think of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) every time the Creep lures a filmmaker out to the middle of nowhere. His obsession with his victims also gives big “I’m your number one fan” energy. So, I cackled when the Creep made a filmmaker reenact a scene in the pilot episode “Mike”.

Fatal Attraction (dir. Adrian Lyne)

Where You Can Watch: MGM+ and Prime Video

It’s no secret that the Creep is attracted to his victims. It is also clear by now that these dates are ending in death. We also know that our serial killer seems proud of his obsessions. I would not be surprised if this was another movie he watched with his mom. 

Community 

Where You Can Watch: Peacock

Yes, I am also recommending one of the last great NBC sitcoms. Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) and the Creep’s shared obsession with film, and ability to create entire scenarios based on movies would make them friends. At least until Peachfuzz came out to play.