A repetitively predictable horror sequel with nothing new to say outruns the inevitable on streaming

Trying to think of any notable horror franchise that hasn’t suffered from the law of diminishing returns at least once is a near-impossible task, but one of the major benefits the long-running Final Destination series had in its pocket was that the central conceit was always ripe for reinvention.

Multi-film sagas revolving around a sole monster or murderer tend to run out of gas awfully quickly, but the smash hit supernatural sensation’s entire existence being predicated on the futility of trying to outrun death itself ensured that you’d never get the same basic setup twice in a row.

While the unforgettable opening scene of the second installment arguably ranks as the high point of Final Destination as a whole, it was the threequel that started to indicate that maybe the creative well was beginning to run dry. It isn’t the worst-reviewed or lowest-grossing entry, though, which is why we ended up getting another two chapters before a decade-long hiatus that’s poised to end sooner rather than later now that Spider-Man director Jon Watts is spearheading a new take.

This time, it’s the aversion of a fatal roller-coaster ride that takes pride of place as the standout sequence, leaving the survivors to be picked off one-by-one after the Grim Reaper decides they’re not getting away that easily.

It wouldn’t be harsh to state that Final Destination 3 isn’t a lot of people’s favorite, but it’s clearly got plenty of rewatch value after FlixPatrol revealed that iTunes users in the United Kingdom have strapped in and gone along for the ride, leading to James Wong’s gruesome chiller securing a Top 10 spot on the nation’s charts.