Get ready, horror fans, because John Waters, the king of cult cinema, has spoken, and his favorite fright flick of 2025 is a surprising one! Waters, known for his love of all things wonderfully weird and wonderfully trashy, recently unveiled his annual list of the year's best films, and nestled near the top was a sequel that's sure to raise some eyebrows: Final Destination Bloodlines.
Waters, through his annual list published by Vulture, crowned Final Destination Bloodlines as his second favorite movie of the year. He didn't mince words, calling it "the best sequel to the coolest cinematic franchise ever." He went on to describe it as "ferocious, fractured, and filled with so many scary, twisted surprises — this picture goes beyond trash into a new realm of exploitation art.”
But here's where it gets interesting... Topping Waters' list was Eddington, a satirical pandemic western thriller directed by Ari Aster. Waters' reaction? A playful, yet assertive, "If you don’t like this film, I hate you." Talk about a strong endorsement!
The rest of Waters' favorites include Dag Johan Haugerud’s Oslo trilogy, Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt, Mathias Broe’s Sauna, Dennis Cooper & Zac Farley’s Room Temperature, Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia, François Ozon’s When Fall Is Coming, Mariska Hargitay’s My Mom Jayne, and Bruno Dumont’s The Empire.
So, what's Final Destination Bloodlines all about? The film follows a college student haunted by a recurring nightmare, forcing her to confront the one person who might hold the key to breaking the cycle and saving her family from a gruesome fate. This installment is directed by Zach Lipovsky & Adam Stein (of Freaks fame) from a script penned by Guy Busick (Scream 2022, Scream VI) and Lori Evans Taylor.
The cast includes Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger, and the late Tony Todd. And this is the part most people miss... The sixth installment of the franchise became the highest-grossing entry, raking in over $315 million worldwide. A sequel is already in the works, with Michiel Blanchart (Night Call) in talks to direct.
Controversy alert: While Final Destination films are known for their over-the-top deaths, some critics might argue that the franchise is repetitive. Do you think Bloodlines manages to breathe new life into the series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
