For the uninitiated, each movie centres on a character who has a premonition of a catastrophic event that results in mass fatalities. Thanks to this vision, the protagonist – and a bunch of others – are saved, evading an early demise.

But Death doesn’t like its plans being thwarted: when it’s your time, it’s your time. Subsequently, this malevolent force comes after the survivors, picking them off in unexpected, frequently complex, gruesome, and occasionally humorous ways.

The most effective kills involve everyday items and experiences that turn into lethal weapons: kitchen knives and cutlery become spears and arrows; laundry lines turn into strangulation wires. Steer clear of escalators, lifts, car washes, tanning beds…

Now the newest instalment, “Final Destination Bloodlines”, is set to traumatise a new generation of moviegoers. It appears at first to follow the mould of its predecessors, starting with a huge disaster.

This time, the catastrophe is set in a new tower restaurant, where young Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger) has a premonition of its imminent collapse, killing everybody within. Curiously, the events unfold in the swinging 1960s, prompting one to wonder: does this movie take place in the past?

As it turns out, Iris’s vision is shared in the present day by her granddaughter Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana).

Plagued by recurring nightmares in which she sees Iris’s death and that of countless others, Stefani sets out to unearth the secrets kept by her now reclusive grandmother – only to learn that Death is coming for her family because, thanks to Iris’s intervention 50 years ago, none of them are supposed to exist!

Thus begins a race against time as Stefani tries to convince her loved ones – younger brother Charlie, estranged mother Darlene, uncle Howard, and cousins Julia, Erik and Bobby – that they’ll die unless they heed the warning signs and learn the secrets in Iris’s Death-defying journal.

While the survivors in previous “FD” films were friends, acquaintances or strangers, “Bloodlines” offers a fresh familial take on the connection between the victims. As a result, the characters are more relatable and three-dimensional than, say, the cardboard cut-outs from “FD 4”.

“Bloodlines” does a good job at being a standalone that’s accessible to newcomers while meeting the expectations of longtime fans.

There are a couple of name-dropped “Easter eggs”, but otherwise little correlation with the previous movies – with the exception of actor Tony Todd’s character William Bludworth, who featured as the mysterious mortician and Death specialist in the first, second and fifth films.

Here, Bludworth’s connection to Death’s dark design is finally revealed, allowing Todd a fitting send-off, made more meaningful by the actor’s real-life passing in November.

The other performers are generally solid: Santa Juana is likeable as the harried Stefani, even if her lead character is rather unmemorable in the grand scheme of things.

As Charlie, Teo Briones is making a name for himself in the echelon of horror franchises: first by being a regular on “Chucky”, the TV adaptation of the “Child’s Play” films, and now, the “FD” universe.

The MVP here is undoubtedly Erik (Richard Harmon), the tattooed and pierced cousin who initially comes across as obnoxious but conveys a softer, sympathetic undertone when he sets out to save his siblings from their untimely ends. Erik’s own horrific death – which is hardly a spoiler – is the “best” kill of the movie in terms of execution. Pardon the pun.

Meanwhile, Iris’s premonition of the tower collapse is a nail-biting succession of shattering glass floors, rolling grand pianos, and falling bodies. If there are any gripes, it’s that in a day and age when viewers are increasingly accustomed to AI imagery, the use of CGI in this calamitous opener threatens to take you out of the horror.

Then there’s the final act, which feels somewhat rushed and, subsequently, anticlimactic. “Bloodlines” clocks in at an hour and 50 minutes; one can’t help but wish directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein had rounded it up to a full two hours by taking more time to let Death rain down upon the surviving characters, allowing the film to reach a more momentous climax.

Nevertheless, this is an entertaining sequel that is likely to please newbies and existing fans of the series. And despite how it ends, it’s entirely possible for “Final Destination Bloodlines” to spawn its own spin-offs – proving once again that a franchise with Death as its main character can still enjoy a long life.

As of press time, ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.