Final Destination Premonition Disasters Ranked

Every Final Destination film opens the same way: Someone has a premonition that a major disaster is about to happen.

They intervene and save multiple people moments before the disaster. This simple formula allows for a new and fun, creative major action set piece in every film.

Since we’re finally getting another installment (Final Destination Bloodlines) into this franchise, I thought it’d be fun to do a from-worst-to-best ranking of the opening premonition disasters of the five Final Destination films.

A plane crash, a highway pileup, a rollercoaster crash, a race track crash, and a bridge collapse. Can’t wait to see what Bloodlines’ premonition disaster will be.

05. The Final Destination (2009) – Crash at Racetrack

Any fan of this franchise will be none too surprised that this premonition disaster ranked last. A group of friends are out enjoying a NASCAR-type race.

Nick has a premonition that a car is going to crash, flying into the stands and causing massive structural damage. The stands will collapse, killing many spectators, including our whole cast.

This opening has its merits. Much of the racing appears to be real cars racing, giving it a real and visceral feeling. The driving is set to Shinedown’s “Devour,” a perfect fit to watch cars speed around on screen.

However, this is the high point of the premonition disaster. As the deaths start, the CGI is SyFy channel-level bad.

One kill in particular, a poor woman is getting trampled to death, suddenly isn’t, only to be hit by a car engine. The effect looks like something I could’ve made in iMovie, with a cartoon sound effect to boot 

That’s one of the many problems with this film; the CGI in most kills is so poor it takes you right out of the movie. Hunt and his Girlfriend Janet are crushed under falling cement stands, and it looks like Wylie Coyote tried to crush the Roadrunner.

It’s disappointing, too, because if you watch the behind-the-scenes, you can see the practical effects they used.

Like putting a car on a rail and crashing it into a pillar. I don’t know if they just didn’t have an effects budget, but either way, it all looks bad. Easily the worst in the franchise.

04. Final Destination 3 – Rollercoaster Crashes

A group of friends is celebrating the end of their High School tenure at a local theme park. They get on a rollercoaster, and Wendy has a premonition which leads to many getting off the coaster before it derails, killing a few kids.

When I first conceived the idea for this ranked list from worst to best, I believed it would rank second among the premonition disasters. The third film is the most enjoyable of the five.

However, after rewatching all the Final Destination films in succession, I found that although the overall experience is fun, I don’t love this premonition. 

The CGI is miles better than the fourth film mentioned above, however, this premonition relies too heavily on the CGI.

Add that to the fact that they’re whizzing around on a rollercoaster, and it’s almost hard to tell what is happening at times and to whom.

I feel for the actors who had to ride the coaster over 60 times to get all the reaction shots. I hate rollercoasters and would’ve been miserable.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s final day of shooting was her death for this, a pretty fun way to end your shooting.

So, it’s not all bad, and the CGI is pretty good, so it doesn’t take you completely out of the film, but the next three entries get these things correct.

Less CGI and time spent on each kill. We come for this creativity. No need to rush all these deaths at the beginning of the film.

03. Final Destination 5 – Bridge Collapse

A paper company is having a company team-building retreat. No, this is not led by Michael Scott, though seeing him in a Final Destination movie would be interesting.

On the way, as they’re stopped on a bridge, the bridge begins to collapse, killing everyone aboard the bus.

The fifth entry was also filmed for 3D, but with better quality than the fourth film. It’s used sparingly here for greater effect, most noticeably in this premonition disaster. The first kill, especially as Candice falls onto or, should I say, through the mast of a boat.

This premonition is higher than the third one because we get more time with each kill. Some of the most inventive and gnarly kills come in this fifth premonition. Like poor Dennis (David Koechner) getting covered in hot tar.

Filmed partly on location at the Lionsgate Bridge in Vancouver, where Lionsgate studio gets its name, and on a set.

Showcasing the location is smart because it reveals the scale of the bridge. Anyone with a fear of heights (Hello!) is on edge before the carnage even begins.

 It’s a great blend of CGI and practical effects. The last two kills, the CGI does get a little wonky, but overall, this scene is visceral and fun. A step up from the previous entry to the delight of fans. Because this could’ve gone very poorly.

 02. Final Destination – Airplane Crash

It’s the premonition disaster that started it all. Alex (Devon Sawa) has a vision that his entire High School French class is going to die in a fiery ball when their airplane, headed to Paris, explodes after takeoff.

Another one I changed my mind on after rewatching these back-to-back. I remembered it being short and to the point, where the subsequent ones become more elaborate and impressive. In a sense, this is correct.

However, the minimalist style of this premonition makes it visceral and brutal. Many people have a fear of dying in a plane crash, or are just afraid to fly. So this film doesn’t need to get flashy with this opening.

The minimal CGI gives it a real feeling, which makes it so brutal. It’s also longer than I remember, closer to the length of the other films. It’s that buildup before the plane breaks apart, I forget about.

The fear is setting in on everyone’s faces as the oxygen masks drop. Then the plane begins to rip apart, before Alex watches as the fire comes at him like Ray Lewis to a Quarterback. It’s upsetting and a great reminder that sometimes the old way can still be effective.

01. Final Destination 2 – Highway Crash/Pile-Up

Kimberly and her friends are driving to spring break. Along the way on highway 180, a logging truck loses its load, causing a massive pileup, killing several motorists.

In the nick of time, Kimberly comes on the onramp to Highway 180. She blocks the ramp, saving everyone and dooming them to another fate.

This is the crown jewel of this franchise and is easily ranked first. People who have never seen any of these films know about the logging truck. It’s almost become independently famous. Doing for logging trucks what Jaws did for sharks.

David R. Ellis is the new director here. He was a stunt coordinator and second unit director for many films’ action set pieces, including the Quidditch sequence in the first Harry Potter film. David understood how to shoot major action set pieces.

It’s why everything I said about this scene’s infamy exists. A stunt coordinator and experienced second unit director using mostly practical effects to shoot an elaborate highway crash.

The only CGI is from the logs bouncing off the truck because they couldn’t get them to bounce like they wanted.

As well as Officer Burker’s shocked face superimposed onto a dummy, which gets obliterated in an incredible shot of the log going through the police car. People like to shit on horror for being low brow, but the filmmaking in this scene is undeniable.

Which is why it is easily the best premonition disaster of the franchise.