I still haven’t had a chance to catch The Final Destination in theaters (not a big loss as I prefer my home setup and 3D movies give me a wicked headache). I’m a big fan of the series – the first two were excellent stories with some quite creative kills and dark humor and the third film was a lot of fun although quite a step down in quality. The first film is currently available on instant Netflix.

WATCH: Final Destination (2000) – “As teen Alex (Devon Sawa), five classmates and their teacher board a plane for a school trip to Paris, Alex has a vision of doom and convinces his friends to deboard, saving their lives. But now, it seems Death feels cheated and is out to claim each survivor. Alex attempts to figure out Death’s grand design as, one by one, the others suffer horrific fates. Amanda Detmer, Ali Larter and Seann William Scott co-star in this smart, chilling thriller.”

Glen Morgan and James Wong, both writers and producers on the X-Files originally intended this as an X-Files episode. The script and filming are wonderful. There is an abundance of foreshadowing throughout the film – some obvious (John Denver tune before the plane crash) and others not so obvious (lots of shadows and reflections). The mostly young cast does a fine job though they aren’t called on to do much. The deaths range from startling to suspenseful to a couple that are so complex, I’d call them Goldbergian.

People watchers: look for Tony Todd in a small but wonderful role as Bludworth.