Final Destination – Which One Is The Best? Ranked
Welcome to Ranking Horror. Yesterday, we explored 10 Body Horror Movies from the 2020s. Today, we’re taking a break from tradition and kicking off a new feature: ranking entire film series. We’re starting with the Final Destination movies, asking: which one is the best, from worst to first?
Table of Contents
We’re kicking off a brand new series specific ranking feature with the Final Destination series. With the latest movie just released, everyone seems to have time for this series’ splatter horror silliness. The consistent threat of death following the characters at every turn is almost impossible not to enjoy, and the laughs come thick and fast.
The big question is, with 6 films in the books, which of them is the best? We are going to answer that exactly today. Starting from the worst and working our way to the best. Without further ado, let’s rank the Final Destination series from worst to first and find out which one truly is the best.
| Rank | Movie Title (Year) | The Design of Death |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) | Refreshing the Bloodline of Horror |
| 2 | Final Destination 3 (2006) | Camp, Colourful, and Rollercoaster Carnage |
| 3 | Final Destination 5 (2011) | A Mature and Tense Return to Form |
| 4 | Final Destination 2 (2003) | High-Speed Highway Havoc |
| 5 | Final Destination (2000) | The Groundbreaking Blueprint of Fate |
6. The Final Destination (2009) – A 3D Gimmick That Fell Flat
- Director: David R. Ellis
- Cast: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten
- Runtime: 82 minutes
- IMDb: 5.1/10
Why it Ranked: The late David R. Ellis and James Wong played hot potato with the first four entries in the Final Destination series, passing the franchise back and forth between them. Whereas Wong returned for the third movie, Ellis returned to helm the fourth: 2009’s The Final Destination. The results were unfortunate in a number of ways. Despite a large budget, the lack of big-name stars, no Tony Todd (due to scheduling conflicts), and the “made for 3D” stylings made it feel a little on the cheap side. Seeing tyres flying towards the screen is a stark reminder that this film is very “of its time”. It’s at the bottom for a good reason; it simply isn’t that great.
Synopsis: After a teenager has a premonition of a horrific race car crash that kills dozens of people in the stands, he saves his friends just in time. However, Death begins to hunt the survivors in a series of bizarre and increasingly gruesome accidents.
Where to Watch: Max, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
5. Final Destination (2000) – The Benchmark That Started It All
- Director: James Wong
- Cast: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- IMDb: 6.7/10
Why it Ranked: Directed by James Wong, this is the film that set the benchmark, defining the format all subsequent films would follow. The presentation of death as a supernatural entity immediately captivated audiences. It is not my favourite entry as it doesn’t quite lean into the comedy potential until later on, and the acting is pretty brutal. However, it is impossible to deny its importance in the annals of horror history.
Synopsis: Alex Browning has a terrifying vision of a plane explosion just before his class trip to Paris. After he and a few others are kicked off the flight and watch the plane actually blow up, they realise that Death is systematically coming back to finish the job.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
4. Final Destination 5 (2011) – A Tense and Visceral Return to Form
- Director: Steven Quale
- Cast: Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell
- Runtime: 92 minutes
- IMDb: 5.9/10
Why it Ranked: A new decade and a new director marked the fifth entry in the Final Destination series. Final Destination 5 saw the director of James Cameron’s deep-water documentary Aliens of the Deep, Steven Quale, try his hand at splatter-horror. This movie is a big improvement on its predecessor. A talented cast offers a more mature group of survivors, and the film clearly tries to take itself a little more seriously. It benefits from the darker tone, improved CGI, and one of the most wince-inducing scenarios involving laser-eye surgery in the entire series.
Synopsis: Sam Lawton has a premonition of a suspension bridge collapse that kills him and his co-workers during a retreat. After saving his friends, a mysterious figure warns them that Death does not like to be cheated, leading to a race to find a way to break the design.
Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
3. Final Destination 2 (2003) – Turning Up the Splatter on the Open Road
- Director: David R. Ellis
- Cast: A.J. Cook, Ali Larter
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- IMDb: 6.2/10
Why it Ranked: Final Destination 2 is cited as the best entry by many fans, and while it improves on the flaws of the original, it has problems of its own. It feels a little less clever and grandiose, but it features the best major accident scene of each and every film. The highway crash is iconic and don’t tell me you can drive behind a logging truck without picturing your own grizzly fate when those logs let loose into the road. It also leans more into the comedic elements which makes it a perfectly suitable sleepover movie.
Synopsis: Kimberly Corman blocks a motorway on-ramp after having a vision of a massive log truck causing a lethal pile-up. When the accident occurs, she and the survivors must seek out the only person who can help them understand Death’s plan: Clear Rivers.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
2. Final Destination 3 (2006) – unashamedly camp and unashamedly silly
- Director: James Wong
- Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- IMDb: 5.8/10
Why it Ranked: Director of the first Final Destination movie, James Wong, returns to the driver’s seat for 2006’s third entry in the series: Final Destination 3. This movie is a guilty pleasure of mine. It felt like the first time the series really felt sure of its own identity. It was unashamedly camp and comedic. Mary Elizabeth Winstead does a very good job, and the laughs are far more prevalent here than in earlier entries. The tanning salon scene is still one of my absolute favourites.
Synopsis: Wendy Christensen has a premonition of a roller coaster accident that will kill her and her classmates. After surviving the derailment, she teams up with her friend Kevin to use photographs she took at the park to predict how and when Death will strike next.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Plex
💀 Death’s Greatest Hits
You don’t watch these movies for the acting or the deep philosophical questions about fate. You watch them to see what ingenious, and utterly ridiculous, way Death is going to off the next teenager. Here are four of the most iconic kills that define the series.
The Tanning Salon (Final Destination 3): This is the ultimate “new fear unlocked” moment. Watching Ashley and Ashlyn get roasted alive because of a misplaced slushy and a shelf is peak Final Destination. It is claustrophobic, excruciatingly slow, and featured the perfect (and slightly evil) use of “Love Rollercoaster” on the soundtrack.
The Log Truck (Final Destination 2): Even people who haven’t seen the movies know about this one. It is the reason we all feel a spike of adrenaline when driving behind a lorry carrying timber on the motorway. The sheer scale of the pile-up is impressive, but the sight of a log going through a windscreen remains the franchise’s most enduring image.
The Gymnastics Routine (Final Destination 5): This scene is a masterclass in tension. The filmmakers throw so many red herrings at you: a loose screw, an exposed wire, a puddle of water. When the payoff finally comes, it is a visceral, bone-crunching snap that serves as a grim reminder that sometimes Death just likes to be blunt.
The MRI Machine (Final Destination: Bloodlines): The new 2025 entry didn’t come to play. Without spoiling too much, the hospital sequence involving a magnetic resonance imaging machine is a rug-pulling masterpiece. It combines high-tech medical horror with a brutal vending machine chaser that proves the series still has plenty of nasty tricks up its sleeve.
1. Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) – A Sensational Reinvigoration of the Franchise
- Director: Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein
- Cast: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Richard Harmon
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- IMDb: 7.1/10
Why it Ranked: Fourteen years! That’s how long they made us wait for a brand new entry in the Final Destination series. This is the best entry in the series by far and might even be in the running for the best horror movie of 2025. It refreshes the format without impacting what makes these movies enjoyable. An intriguing mystery that connects the series’ past to its future is entirely engrossing, all while telling a new story that is entertaining, wince-inducing, and legitimately hilarious. Richard Harmon is an absolute standout. This is exactly what the series needed.
Synopsis: A college student named Stefani is plagued by recurring nightmares of a 1960s skyscraper collapse. She discovers that her grandmother averted the accident decades ago, and now Death is coming for the entire bloodline to balance the books.
Where to Watch: Theatres Only, Amazon (Pre-order)
Death Always Finds a Way
There we have it: the entire Final Destination series ranked. From the naff 3D of the fourth entry to the sensational reinvigoration of Bloodlines, this franchise has proven that as long as there are everyday objects that can be turned into death traps, audiences will keep coming back. It is a series that thrives on its own ridiculousness and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you loved this deep-dive into Death’s design, why not check out some of our other rankings? I’ll be back soon with more reviews and series breakdowns. Stay spooky.
💀 Quick Picks: Death’s Design for Your Vibe
- 🏆 The All-Time Best: Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
- 🎢 The Campest Fun: Final Destination 3 (2006)
- 🌉 The Most Intense: Final Destination 5 (2011)
- 🏎️ The One to Skip: The Final Destination (2009)
- ✈️ The Original Classic: Final Destination (2000)
