Final Destination 5
Final Destination 5 is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by Steven Quale, serving as the fifth installment in the Final Destination franchise and functioning as a prequel to the original 2000 film.[1][2] The story centers on a group of coworkers who narrowly escape death when protagonist Sam Lawton experiences a premonition of a catastrophic suspension bridge collapse during their bus trip to a corporate retreat; however, they soon discover that Death will stop at nothing to claim their lives through a series of increasingly elaborate and gruesome accidents.[3] Produced by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, the film was shot in 3D to enhance its signature death sequences, including the bridge disaster and a botched laser eye surgery, and features a screenplay by Eric B. Heisserer, who previously wrote the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.[1] The cast includes Nicholas D'Agosto as Sam Lawton, Emma Bell as Molly Harper, Miles Fisher as Peter Friedkin, Ellen Wroe as Candice Hooper, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood as Olivia Castle, P. J. Byrne as Isaac Palmer, Arlen Escarpeta as Nathan Sears, and David Koechner as the antagonistic boss Dennis Lapman, with horror veteran Tony Todd returning as the enigmatic coroner William Bludworth, who provides cryptic guidance on cheating death.[3] Released theatrically on August 12, 2011, Final Destination 5 opened in 3,155 theaters, including IMAX, and earned $18 million in its domestic opening weekend.[4] With a production budget of $40 million, it grossed $42.6 million domestically and $112.4 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $155 million.[4] Critically, the film holds a 64% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 137 reviews, with praise for its inventive kill scenes and 3D effects but criticism for lacking originality in the franchise formula.[3] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 27, 2011, and its twist ending—revealing the events occur prior to the plane crash in the first film—added a layer of connectivity to the series' lore, influencing subsequent entries.[4][2]Synopsis
Plot
The film opens with Sam Lawton, an employee at Presage Paper, preparing breakfast at his restaurant job before joining his coworkers on a bus headed to a corporate retreat across the North Bay Bridge.[5] As the bus crosses the bridge amid high winds, Sam experiences a vivid premonition of the structure's catastrophic collapse. In the vision, gusts batter the suspension cables, causing a construction worker to drop a tool that severs a cable; this triggers a chain reaction where cables snap, pylons crack, and the roadway buckles. Vehicles plunge into the water below, with specific moments including a truck exploding and sending debris flying, cars somersaulting off the edges, and the bus itself dangling before falling, crushing passengers like Isaac Palmer inside a restroom and impaling others on jagged metal. Sam sees himself bisected by a falling girder, Molly Harper clinging to a beam before plummeting, and widespread chaos killing dozens in fiery wrecks and drownings.[6] Snapping out of the vision, Sam panics and urges the group to evacuate the bus just as the first signs from his premonition manifest—creaking cables and swaying lights. He pulls Molly, Nathan Sears, Peter Friedkin, Candice Hooper, Olivia Castle, Isaac Palmer, and Dennis Lapman to safety moments before the bridge fully collapses in reality, mirroring the premonition exactly and claiming 86 lives.[5] At the memorial service for the victims, the survivors encounter coroner William Bludworth, who cryptically warns them that Death has a design and will claim them in the order they would have died on the bridge unless they intervene.[7] Days later, Candice, a gymnast, dies during practice when a loose screw from deteriorating gym equipment causes her to slip on the balance beam; she crashes into a vaulting horse, flips awkwardly, and snaps her neck upon landing, fracturing her spine in a gruesome contortion.[8] This death heightens the group's fear, leading Peter to grow increasingly paranoid. Seeking answers, the survivors reunite after Isaac's death at a massage parlor, where a spilled flammable oil ignites near acupuncture needles embedded in his body; as flames spread, a heavy Buddha statue topples from its pedestal, crushing his skull and killing him instantly.[8] There, they meet Bludworth again, who explains that to cheat Death, one must kill another person and claim their remaining lifespan, effectively skipping ahead in Death's list.[9] Emboldened but hesitant, the group attempts to live normally, but Olivia perishes next during laser eye surgery when the machine's laser malfunctions due to a power surge, searing her eye and causing her to stagger blindly; she trips over an unattended cart, crashes through a window, and falls to her death on the pavement below, her body bursting open on impact.[8] At the office, Roy dies in a construction site accident when a crane cable snaps, sending a massive lifting hook swinging; it impales him through the chin and out the top of his head after Nathan accidentally pushes him into its path during a moment of tension.[10] Unaware at first, Nathan realizes this accidental killing has transferred Roy's lifespan to him, sparing him temporarily. Meanwhile, Dennis is killed when a wrench, loosened by vibrations from the bridge collapse recovery work, flies off a nearby truck and embeds in his skull with lethal force.[8] With only Sam, Molly, Peter, and Nathan left, Peter, driven mad by fear, researches past Final Destination survivors and confronts FBI Agent Jim Block investigating the case; in the struggle, Peter shoots Block three times in the back, claiming his lifespan.[9] Peter then attempts to murder Molly to secure more time, but Sam intervenes, stabbing Peter through the back with a rotisserie skewer from a nearby kitchen, taking Block's lifespan in the process. Believing they have outrun Death, Sam and Molly, now rekindled in their relationship, board Volée Airlines Flight 180 to Paris for Sam's internship—revealing the film as a prequel to the original, where the plane explodes mid-air shortly after takeoff, slicing Molly in half with a wing fragment and incinerating Sam in the blast, exactly as foretold in Alex Browning's vision from the first film.[11] Several months later, Nathan celebrates what he thinks is his permanent survival at his bar, toasting to cheating Death; however, a piece of landing gear from the recovered Flight 180 wreckage crashes through the ceiling, crushing him to death and closing the cycle.[9]Cast
The principal cast of Final Destination 5 consists of an ensemble portraying young employees of Presage Paper on a corporate retreat, along with key supporting figures such as supervisors and investigators. The film emphasizes their professional relationships and individual backgrounds amid the horror elements.[12]| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nicholas D'Agosto | Sam Lawton | Protagonist and employee in the sales division at Presage Paper, aspiring chef with leadership among the group.[13][9] |
| Emma Bell | Molly Harper | Colleague at Presage Paper and Sam Lawton's girlfriend, part of the core survivor circle.[14] |
| Miles Fisher | Peter Friedkin | Ambitious colleague and friend of Sam at Presage Paper, known for his driven personality within the office dynamic.[12] |
| Arlen Escarpeta | Nathan Sears | Colleague at Presage Paper, a laid-back member of the retreat group who later pursues entrepreneurial ventures.[12] |
| Ellen Wroe | Candice Hooper | Gymnast and colleague at Presage Paper, athletic and optimistic addition to the young professional ensemble.[12] |
| P. J. Byrne | Isaac Palmer | Colleague at Presage Paper, sarcastic office worker involved in the group's post-disaster investigations.[12] |
| Jacqueline MacInnes Wood | Olivia Castle | Colleague at Presage Paper with interests in wellness, confident member of the corporate retreat attendees.[12] |
| David Koechner | Dennis Lapman | Supervisor and safety inspector at Presage Paper, authoritative figure overseeing the employees.[12] |
| Courtney B. Vance | Agent Jim Block | FBI agent investigating incidents related to the survivors, external authority interacting with the group.[12] |
| Tony Todd | William Bludworth | Enigmatic coroner providing cryptic guidance to the survivors, recurring figure from the franchise.[12] |