Final Destination vs Saw: How Sticking To A Winning Formula Pays Off

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Most movie franchises, even long-running ones, struggle to stay popular with fans for many years. Even a hugely loved series like Star Wars has faced criticism recently, particularly regarding its newer sequels, which some fans found lacked originality. However, it’s not uncommon for a franchise to maintain enough interest to get people to go back to the cinema for new films.

Many successful movie franchises have had to change things up to stay popular, often because trying new things early on didn’t always resonate with viewers. A series can only follow the same formula for so long before it starts to feel stale. The same is true for TV shows – they need to evolve to avoid becoming predictable and repetitive.

Horror is unique because it can repeatedly use the same successful ideas. Audiences enjoy the core elements of the genre even if the story or background isn’t deeply developed. Many successful horror franchises, especially those with five or more films, stick closely to a proven formula, and Final Destination is a prime example of doing this exceptionally well.

The Final Destination Movie Has Stuck To Its Winning Formula

The Final Destination movies all follow a very similar pattern. It usually starts with someone having a vision of a terrible accident and managing to save a few people. But then, those survivors begin to die in freak accidents, and they try to understand how these deaths are connected and if there’s a way to stop them.

It’s surprisingly consistent how the Final Destination movies keep repeating the same story. Though the specifics of how people die and try to avoid death have changed a little over time, the core idea hasn’t really been updated. What makes Final Destination enjoyable is its creative and frightening deaths – the ones that feel like they could actually happen.

The Saw Movie Has Reinvented Its Lore Too Much

Like the Final Destination series, the Saw franchise is known for its intense violence and how its stories unfold. However, it had difficulty maintaining success after the initial movies. The series centers on the victims of Jigsaw, a deranged killer who traps people with serious moral failings in elaborate and deadly situations, and their desperate attempts to escape.

Look, I’m a big horror fan, but the Saw movies… they really test your patience sometimes. It’s so frustrating when they set up these big plot threads that just… fizzle out, or even contradict things that happened earlier. Honestly, it makes it hard to get invested in any of the characters. What started as this intense, creative trap-focused series slowly turned into a pretty standard police procedural, and that really killed the thrill for me. It’s a shame, because the traps themselves were always so clever!

Final Destination Did Not Overstay Its Welcome

Many people still love the Final Destination movies, even though some aren’t as good as the original, because the series knew when to stop. Final Destination 5, released in 2011, was a strong conclusion and left fans with a generally positive impression, demonstrating that ending the franchise at that point was a good decision.

Everyone had high hopes for Final Destination Bloodlines, and it really delivered, exceeding expectations. The film successfully updates the series’ established story to attract new viewers, while still offering everything longtime fans enjoy. It’s no surprise horror was so popular in 2025 – Final Destination Bloodlines played a big role in that success.

Even Saw Has A Winning Formula That Is Easy To Reuse

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed Saw X, especially since I didn’t expect much. It did something I’d given up on – it focused on John Kramer himself, as a prequel, and thankfully dropped the confusing and unnecessary police storylines that had been a problem since the fifth movie.

The Saw movies could have been just as entertaining – and arguably better – if they’d focused solely on Kramer setting up his elaborate and cruel traps. The appeal always came from watching the victims struggle, so ditching the complicated detective storyline and keeping Jigsaw alive would have been a stronger approach.

The latest Saw film demonstrates that the series can successfully follow a repeatable formula, much like Final Destination, without becoming predictable. This is because the key to its success lies in consistently delivering inventive, brutal traps and featuring characters who fight for survival. Most fans primarily remember the traps themselves, rather than the overall plot.

The Future Looks Bright For Both Franchises

Despite delivering the best-reviewed Saw film in a long time, a follow-up to Saw X appeared to be cancelled. However, with Blumhouse now owning the Saw franchise, there’s renewed optimism that the sequel will move forward. It would continue the story in the past, focusing on Jigsaw and avoiding the less memorable characters from previous films.

Whether or not Saw 11 will be made is still uncertain, but the Final Destination franchise is definitely doing well. Final Destination Bloodlines has become the best-rated film in the series, attracting both longtime fans and a new audience. This success has led to discussions about making more films, and a sequel is already planned.

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2026-01-02 04:31