Every Final Destination Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Critically hated upon release, Final Destination proved to be a big hit with audiences, and has since become a cult classic of the horror genre.

The reason it works so well as a film lies in its simplicity. The deaths here aren't quite as big as the deaths in the future installments, but because they're all more mundane and even realistic in parts, it makes the horror aspect of the story all the more effective. Adding to that is the lack of horror cliches - Final Destination was, from the franchise's very first premonition, a breath of fresh air to the genre.

The idea of Death being the villain was and is an ingenious move, and made the whole situation seem bleak, hammering home the theme of death's unavoidable nature whilst being a successful teen horror flick. It might not be as spectacular as the others in the franchise, but it's all the better for it, and remains an insidiously effective horror yarn to this date.