The Best Final Destination Movie, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Movies Horror Movies

You can't cheat death, as the increasingly silly "Final Destination" franchise has taught us. As of this writing, there are five "Final Destination" movies available to watch, with a sixth entry, titled "Final Destination: Bloodlines," due out in 2025. While these films tell different stories and focus (mostly) on different characters, they all follow a similar, dependable format. In an opening set piece, a group of characters survive some sort of major disaster (plane crash, roller coaster accident, etc.), primarily because one of the survivors has a detailed premonition of the carnage to come. Unfortunately, while this group of main characters survive the initial tragedy, they're still ultimately doomed, because death can't be swayed. One by one, the survivors end up getting bumped off in increasingly elaborate, Rube Goldberg-type ways that look like accidents. 

The films are gory and funny, and most of them lean into the absurdity of it all — that's kind of what makes the franchise so enjoyable. That said, some entries are better than others (and some entries are downright awful). So how do these movies stack-up, critically? For that answer, we turn to Rotten Tomatoes. However, it's important (as always) to remember that Rotten Tomatoes is just a guide. It's not infallible, and in some cases, the RT score can even be manipulated. Still, if you want to know which is the best "Final Destination" movie according to Rotten Tomatoes, you've come to the right place. 

Final Destination 5 is the best Final Destination movie (according to Rotten Tomatoes)

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the most recent "Final Destination" movie, "Final Destination 5," is also the best. This entry sets at 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Critics Consensus stating, "It's still only for the gore-thirsty faithful, but Final Destination 5 represents a surprising return to form for the franchise." For reference, here's how the rest of the series stacks up. The first "Final Destination" has only 36% on RT. The sequel "Final Destination 2" has 50%. "Final Destination 3" sits at 46%. And the fourth film, titled "The Final Destination," is the lowest-rated, with 28%.

"Final Destination 5" opens with characters surviving a terrifying bridge collapse, only to then be picked off one-by-one in increasingly gruesome ways (there's a death involving gymnastic uneven bars that's particularly nasty). It is, for the most part, more of the same ... until the ending! At the end of the film, the characters who managed to survive for the most of the narrative board a plane. And wouldn't ya know it, it turns out to be the plane the exploded in the first "Final Destination" movie. Yes, that's right — "Final Destination 5" ends up being a secret prequel. 

The twist is admittedly fun, but does that really help make "Final Destination 5" the best movie in the franchise?

Which Final Destination movie is really the best?

If you needed more evidence that Rotten Tomatoes ratings should be taken with a grain of salt, look no further than the "Final Destination" ranking! Don't get me wrong: "Final Destination 5" is enjoyable. But is it the best movie in the franchise? Absolutely not! First of all, I'm kind of shocked the first film ranks so low. Only 36%? Come on! That movie, which kicked off the entire series, deserves better. Is it a masterpiece? Nope, but it is a well-made horror flick with a neat concept.

That said, if you ask me what the best movie in the "Final Destination" series is, the answer is clear: "Final Destination 2." The first sequel is the film with arguably the most iconic inciting incident: a massive car pile-up that involves huge tree trunks flying off a logging truck. Ask anyone who saw "Final Destination 2" in theaters when it came out and I guarantee they'll tell you that they go out of their away to avoid driving behind logging trucks on the highway all because of this movie. What "Psycho" did for showers and "Jaws" did for the beach, "Final Destination 2" did for logging trucks on the highway. 

Beyond the opening set piece, "Final Destination 2" also feels like the most entertaining film in the series, primarily because it's having fun with its kills. The first "Final Destination" movie takes itself a little too seriously, whereas the sequel embraces the absurdist nature of the material. It deserves to rank higher.