Final Destination: Bloodlines (in theaters)

No one watches “Final Destination” movies for the plot.

If you’re a fan of the horror franchise, you’re there for one thing and one thing only – gory, creative deaths designed to give people waking nightmares for the rest of their lives. You might never be able to drive behind a logging truck or get laser eye surgery ever again.

In that respect, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” sees the series at the top of its game. The franchise has come back after 14 years with the most gruesome, horrifying deaths they’ve ever had. If you’re looking to get nightmarish visions of everything from fancy restaurants to backyard barbecues, “Bloodlines” definitely satisfies. Add a new twist on the old “Final Destination” formula and an oddly poignant moment for a departed regular, and it’s clear the series still has plenty of energy to it.

For those not familiar with the series, “Final Destination” movies state that Death tracks down people who have cheated their fates and kills them in horrifying accidents. This time Death is going after multiple generations of a single family, killing them because a pregnant woman once stayed alive when she shouldn’t have. Can her descendants cheat death and figure out a way to survive?

The one oddly poignant moment belongs to Tony Todd, a well-known horror actor who died last year. Todd plays William Bludworth, a franchise regular who often delivers key series lore to the latest set of hapless victims. This is his last onscreen appearance, and the movie gives him a dignity and thoughtfulness it gives no one else.

Grade: Two and a half stars

Nonnas (Netflix)

Old ladies are just fun to hang out with, especially when they cook for you.

The four grandmas at the heart of “Nonnas” are definitely the main appeal, though the Italian food they make runs a close second. Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro and Talia Shire are all engaging enough to bring life to the movie, which is based on a true story. Still, reality is much less of a priority here than heartwarming family-style drama, the best of which focuses on the women. They grow as people and make delicious food, and you want to see both happen.

The movie tells the story of Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn), who opens a restaurant to help him deal with the death of his mother. He wants to hire grandmothers to cook the food, giving them the opportunity to start a new chapter of their lives. When trouble from other local businesses threaten the restaurant, however, will everyone lose their chance to start something new?

Sarandon and Bracco are excellent as always, but it’s Shire that really steals the show. Her character Teresa is a former nun who wants to put her past behind her, and thanks to Shire and a late plot twist it’s one of the most interesting elements in the film.

The one uncertainty here is Vaughn, who plays a much more muted character than usual. If you normally like Vaughn, you’ll be disappointed. If you normally find him annoying, it’ll be a relief.

Either way, he’s not the ingredient that matters.

Grade: Two and a half stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at [email protected].