Final Destination 2

An approvement over the original, Final Destination 2 brings back the same concept with a group of people avoiding death due to the premonition of one character. However, they are continued to be stalked by Death (who never takes physical form but attacks by putting complex sequences of events in motion) throughout the film one by one. As with the original, characters attempt to read the signs as to who is next on the hitlist and avoid their spot in line.

Criminal Minds' A.J. Cook stars as our main character whose premonition allows her to avoid being killed in the mass traffic accident that takes out all of her friends (who include the far-too-quickly killed Sarah Carter). The stunt is incredible and widely regarded as the best of the entire franchise.

Cook is capable here, haunted by multiple visions throughout the course of the film, forcing her character into a dramatic solution in a last-ditch effort to avoid various odd manners of death (watch out for the man with hook hands!). While you could certainly argue that Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives a stronger performance in basically the same role in the next film, Cook does have the advantage of the better script and sequences.

The rest of the cast isn't all that notable with the exceptions of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman's original Jimmy Olsen Michael Landes whose character provides both the cop in the story and a member of the group marked for death. We also get Ali Larter's return to reprise her character from Final Destination offering some words of advice and wrapping up events from the first film and allowing the franchise to start with a new group of victims (and no on-screen visible killer) with every movie. That concept does allow it to carve out its own niche in the horror genre. Final Destination 2 is far from great, but with the franchise leaning more heavily into gore moving forward (where this one still has a mix of comedy), it stands out from the rest of the franchise as really the only film that holds up to multiple viewings.

Watch the trailer

• Title: Final Destination 2
• IMDb: link