The 'Final Destination' Performance That Still Stuns Jeff Reddick (original) (raw)

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Published Aug 4, 2023, 5:21 PM EDT

Erick Massoto is a Brazilian writer who's always loved film and TV and loves finding connections between them. That's why he supports double features, especially if they are of a modern film paired with a much older one, to remind people that no movie exists without context.

With an equal love for blockbusters and indie movies, he'll often rant about stuff like how Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy failed Mary Jane Watson and review and praise movies like Mountains and Enys Men even if no one will hear it.

He dedicates a good portion of his time to writing about anime, which was a big part of his childhood growing up. Since the Japanese series are becoming more and more popular, it's a great time to be a fan of anime and, yes, you should at least be watching Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and The Apothecary Diaries.

Going to movie theaters is his equivalent to going to church, which is why he doesn't like it when people don't respect each other's experiences. That's why he'll select the easiest screening possible — even if it means watching a movie after the hype has died down.

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Summary

• Final Destination's impact still resonates today, with the log sequence in the second movie being a fan-favorite moment.
• Despite a 12-year hiatus, the horror franchise is making a comeback, and creator Jeff Reddick still finds Devon Sawa's performance in the first movie compelling.
• Reddick admits to watching the movie numerous times and praises Sawa's portrayal, especially during the premonition scene, which he considers on par with any horror movie performance.

It’s been more than two decades since Final Destination first premiered in theaters, and a great testament to the film’s impact is that it’s still remembered vividly to this day. True, most people’s go-to favorite moment is certainly the log sequence in Final Destination 2, but that wouldn’t have happened if the first movie wasn’t such a hit. And there are many unforgettable things about it, as franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick told Collider in an interview.

As the horror franchise gears up to make a comeback after a 12-year hiatus, Reddick revealed to our Perri Nemiroff that Devon Sawa’s performance in the first movie is still one that he finds extremely compelling. In the movie, Sawa plays Alex Browning, a young boy who gets shocked to his core after having a premonition that the plane he’s on will explode. Reddick still loves watching him go:

"When I watch that performance, even today, throughout the movie he's amazing, but that premonition scene and the way that he plays it and the fear that he has after he comes out of that premonition, through the plane exploding – spoiler alert, if you haven't watched it, shame on you – he is so good. I mean, that performance rivals any performance I've seen in a horror movie. In horror movies, a lot of times guys don't get to play that role. At the beginning he's nervous up until the flight, but his performance during the premonition scene and after just rivets me because there's just so many emotions that go through his face. And he’s amazing throughout the film."

Devon Sawa's Alex freaking out on a plane in 'Final Destination'

Image via New Line Cinema

Final Destination and Sawa's Performance Set Up The Structure of the Whole Franchise

As the interview progressed, Reddick confessed that he’s watched Final Destination “a gazillion times,” and he’ll always go back and watch the first premonition scene because Sawa’s performance “is so amazing.” Reddick also revealed that he wanted to bring Sawa back as Alex to the sequel, but a series of factors made it impossible and he doesn’t like the character’s ending.

Final Destination also set up the structure of the whole film series: Each entry kicks off with a huge – and elaborate – event that kills a bunch of characters at once. The event is then revealed to be a premonition and the person who sees it warns and saves everyone. The trouble is, those people were destined to die and Death keeps chasing them until their lives are finally claimed.

Final Destination 6 is ready to go, and hopefully the ball will begin rolling when the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike comes to an end. You can read more of Reddick's thoughts on the legacy of the Final Destination franchise in Perri Nemiroff's full interview.