Movies
The Top 10 Final Destination Deaths
The Final Destination franchise is all about how Death will not allow people to cheat it and, when they do, it seeks revenge in a variety of nasty, Rube Goldbergian ways. Because of this, there is naturally an immense roster of creative, outlandish kills in the series, even more so than a typical slasher franchise. So cutting the wheat from the chaff to craft a Top 10 is much more difficult than usual, but never fear. Let me bravely guide your path toward the best and bloodiest ways that FD characters have shuffled off this mortal coil.
The Final Destination franchise is all about how Death will not allow people to cheat it and, when they do, it seeks revenge in a variety of nasty, Rube Goldbergian ways. Because of this, there is naturally an immense roster of creative, outlandish kills in the series, even more so than a typical slasher franchise. So cutting the wheat from the chaff to craft a Top 10 is much more difficult than usual, but never fear.
Let me bravely guide your path toward the best and bloodiest ways that FD characters have shuffled off this mortal coil.
A note: I won’t be counting any deaths from the franchise’s signature opening sequence premonitions here, as they technically don’t happen in-universe, and they’re generally so stellar that they deserve their own article.
For a ranking of every entry in the franchise, click here!
The Top 10 Deaths in The Final Destination Franchise
#10 Surprise Bus (Final Destination)
The “surprise death” has become a staple of the franchise, but – as is so often the case – the first is the best.
#9 LASIK (Final Destination 5)
This one is ranked slightly lower because the actual Death (Olivia falling out of the window) isn’t that interesting. But the way it plays out beforehand is pitch perfect grossout thriller tension-building. From the way it harnesses everyday fears (I haven’t gotten LASIK myself, but I imagine this is what everyone who gets it worries is going to happen) to the eye trauma to the hand trauma, this is a laundry list of some of the nastiest and most brutal ways to terrorize both a character and the audience.
#8 The Kitchen (Final Destination)
Just like the bus sequence, the Death of poor Ms. Lewton was the progenitor of many future Final Destination scenes, this time of the Rube Goldberg variety. This scene drags out her Death by putting her in an increasingly impossible situation and closing on a bloody moment where the thing that might save her – the dish towel – ends up spelling her doom. Plus, that gory little punchline at the end where the falling chair deals the killing blow is just deliciously nasty.
#7 The Fire Escape (Final Destination 2)
The fire escape sequence perfectly encapsulates everything the Final Destination franchise does best. It has a drawn-out rise and fall and deals the killing blow exactly when Evan thinks he’s escaped. But on top of the final moment, the entire four-minute sequence is chock full of fun grace notes, from the harrowing garbage disposal moment to the cheeky little foreshadowing of the fridge magnets spelling out “E Y E.”
#6 Shower Strangulation (Final Destination)
Because the first movie was a little less elaborate and focused on things that might conceivably happen to a human being in real life, its kills are less outré, but no less brutal for it. Seeing the veins in Tod’s eyes burst as he is being strangled is a deeply chilling injection of body horror verisimilitude.
#5 The Airbag (Final Destination 2)
This is the Final Destination equivalent of the photographer going, “Now, let’s do a fun one.” Kat survives a car wreck, only to have the airbag (something that’s meant to keep them safe) smash their head into a broken pipe. It’s funny, it’s gruesome, it’s a blast.
#4 The Pool (The Final Destination)
Sure, this may not be the best or most believable setup in the world, but this Death has everything it needs. 1) An everyday, commonplace fear dragged from the back of the collective subconscious. 2) A truly awful way to go that allows for an explosion of blood. 3) Shirtless Nick Zano. Hey, I don’t make the rules.
#3 The Weight Bench (Final Destination 3)
One of the best misdirects in the entire series! After the scene focuses so hard on the clattering swords on the wall, only for them not to hurt Lewis, they do indeed become instruments of Death, but in a way that nobody would have expected (and one that allows for a lovely explosion of blood, another staple of the franchise).
#2 The Balance Beam (Final Destination 5)
The balance beam kill! Truly a tension sequence of epic proportions, both because of how much it draws out the audience’s anticipation of the fact that this poor gymnast is going to die epically and because of the downright Hitchcockian way that the sharp screw on the balance beam triggers the most squeamish, intimate fears hidden deep within our psyches. Nobody really has a sense of what getting decapitated feels like, but we can all squirm in revulsion at the thought of a tiny sharp object piercing the sole of our foot.
The only reason this is #2 is the same reason the LASIK kill is ranked so low: the actual Death isn’t the reason this scene is great. Just like Candice herself, it doesn’t really stick the landing, even though it is decently gnarly in its own right.
#1 The Falling Glass (Final Destination 2)
Look, the Final Destination franchise courts simple pleasures like watching a kid get squashed like a grape by a falling pane of glass, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good ol’ explosion of gore, especially one this perfectly rendered. Not everything has to be Hitchcock.
Netflix did not give me a lot to work with this month. I may have also zoomed through many of my favorite things on the platform these last few months. So, many of these are titles I have been meaning to check out, and I hope they are worth the wait. However, I cannot promise the carnage, chaos, and confusion I normally provide for this column. This means you’ll have to forgive me for having less razzle dazzle and a little more uncertainty while I list some stuff off the less beaten path. Gather around, and I’ll tell you what I am trying to get into this March!
Archive (2020)
In 20238, George Almore’s newest AI prototype is nearly complete. However, this humanesque machine is also hiding one of George’s secrets that must remain hidden. While I love some British sci-fi and believe we should watch as many of the 2020 movies that slid under our quarantined radar, I’m pulling up for another reason. I want to see Theo James in something that isn’t The Monkey. Literally. I didn’t enjoy that movie, and I seem to be the last person I know who was unfamiliar with James before that. So, I’m trying to rectify that and see what he can do in anything else. Hopefully, after catching this on Netflix, I will have a new movie that comes to mind when he is mentioned. Fingers crossed, friends!
Green Room (2016)
A punk rock band gets trapped in a venue where skinheads want to kill them. So many people have told me this movie is worth my time, but because it’s always too soon for violent racists in this decade, I keep putting it off. However, I am so curious to see what Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, and the late Anton Yelchin are doing in this movie. Green Room is also one of the few A24 horror movies that I have not seen, which makes it even more intriguing. While I doubt 2026 will calm down enough for this not feel too real, I think it’s time for me to be brave and cross this movie off my list already. So, I might have to grab a drink, a weighted blanket, and remote so I can open Netflix.
M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
Two years after M3GAN’s murder spree, she is rebuilt by her creator to take down a military-grade weapon made from her stolen tech. Is this movie as good as the original written by Akela Cooper? Obviously not. No one can do what Cooper does and we shouldn’t hold people to that very high bar. Is this movie way too damn long? Also, yes. However, was there still a lot of fun to be had along the way? I thought so. While M3GAN 2.0 isn’t the sequel we wanted, I’m happy to rewatch it for free at home. We lose a lot of the threads I loved in the first one, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t the new Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day anyway. In a perfect world, Akela Cooper will reopen the computer (after receiving a very large check from Blumhouse) and give us a third installment to bring our dancing diva back into the horror fold.
Life After Beth (2014)
A man discovers his dead girlfriend is back, and that might be for the worst. I never watched this horror comedy, but I’m sad and hoping Aubrey Plaza can change that. After all, if she can’t wake us up after a long winter, then who can? I also imagine Plaza as a zombie is kind of great. Along for the ride is Molly Shannon, so between the two of them, I expect some chuckles and guffaws. Maybe the powers that be at Netflix knew we could all use a laugh, and that’s why this is waiting for us on the other side of February. Or possibly they wanted to apologize for that last season of Stranger Things. Or maybe it’s just a wacky coincidence, and I’m looking for meaning where there is none. Either way, I have a date with this movie, and you might want to check it out too.
Teen Wolf (2011-2017)
Getting bitten by a werewolf turns life upside down for a high school student and his best friend. Hear me out! I doubt there is a world where I will watch all six seasons of this. Hell, I doubt I’ll even finish the first season. However, I skipped this MTV moment when it originally aired. Which is why I didn’t know who Dylan O’Brien was when Send Help was announced. So, I’m using this Netflix account to see where he started now that I have seen him in something. You can join me in this or mark your time as safe and watch something else. I don’t blame you either way, and I hope you’ll respect my privacy during this adventure.
That’s what I’m doing with my Netflix account this month. Here is hoping April gives us more scary movies because some of us deserve it. Most importantly, I deserve it.
Shudder is still that girl even in March. Our beloved streamer is adding classics like The Fog and Messiah of Evil. They are also adding a couple of films that are precious to my generation, like May. The app always has an eclectic lineup, but this month is an embarrassment of riches. At least if you are like me, and looking at a list of movies you have had on your watch list forever. That is why it took me a hot minute to figure out which five titles should be this month’s priority. However, I cracked the code and think I have something old, something new, and definitely at least a couple of things that will turn blue. Check out what I am trying to see on Shudder this month. Also, be sure to let me know if you are as geeked about these titles as I am.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
The Last Horror Film (1982)
A New York taxi driver stalks an actress during the Cannes Film Festival. I love 80s slashers and have been on a quest to watch them all. This one has eluded me for a couple of years, and I am so happy Shudder is finally letting me cross it off my list. I am not expecting this to break my top 1980s slashers. I’m not even counting on it to be one of the best movies about a stalked actress of that era. However, I’m excited to finally see it for myself with an adult beverage in hand.
You can watch The Last Horror Film on March 1st.
Fade to Black (1980)
A film fanatic begins murdering people who betray him while stalking his idol. I finally caught this on Shudder in the last couple of years and will be using its return as an excuse to rewatch it. Very few movies cater to the slasher kids and film nerds as well as this one. Fade to Black is the kind of psychological horror comedy that is the reason 1980s horror remains unmatched. The costumes, the obsession, and the kills are the most fun you can possibly have on a Shudder Saturday. Do yourself a favor and hit play immediately.
You can watch Fade to Black on March 9th.
Hostile Dimensions (2023)
Two filmmakers travel through alternate dimensions seeking out the truth about a missing graffiti artist. This found footage film has been on my list for years, and I am so grateful that Shudder is finally letting me see it. I have heard so many great things, and the FOMO was killing me. Hopefully, Hostile Dimensions lives up to the hype. Otherwise, I have to ask my nearest and dearest to explain themselves and then stop accepting recommendations from them. Will it scratch the found footage itch I have this month? There is only one way to find out, and that is why I will be sat the day this drops on the app.
You can watch Hostile Dimensions on March 9th.
1000 Women in Horror (2025)
Women have been an integral part of the genre since Mary Shelley started thinking about Frankenstein. However, we do not always get the credit and respect we deserve. Which is why I am thrilled 1000 Women in Horror is celebrating the badasses who revolutionized horror films. Not only is the documentary opening the libraries for us, but it’s also bringing current faves along for the ride. Akela Cooper, Toby Poser, and Jenn Wexler are just some of the names I know who are about to inspire so many women to get serious about making their movies. I cannot stress enough how happy I am that Shudder is adding this to its lineup.
You can watch 1000 Women in Horror on March 20th.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
College friends backpacking through Britain are attacked by a werewolf. As a werewolf film enthusiast, I know they are not all made equally. That is one of the many reasons why this is easily one of the best werewolf movies the genre has. The transformation alone is worth the price of a Shudder subscription. So, it shouldn’t come as a shock that this is one of the five titles I’m most excited to see this month. Hell, it’s probably in everyone’s top five to be completely honest. I cannot think of a better way to close this month out than with a top-tier werewolf flick.
You can watch An American Werewolf in London on March 31st.
I told you, Shudder is that girl. Whether you’re on spring break, taking a mental health day, or just dissociating, this app has got you covered. Make sure you dig into some of this sick, twisted, and cool cinema. As for me, I will see you next month with more recommendations.
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