A solid thriller

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2003)

The film is good. Unlike the Final Destination, there is actually a story (and pretty decent one), nicely tied to the events in the first film. There isn't much character development, but then the film's point is different, it is to show the omnipresence of death and the characters' encounters with it. And it does that brilliantly. Especially the "encounters". Death scenes are very scary and very impressive. The opening episode is amazing. To imagine the quality and intensity of the action, think about action scenes in the Matrix: Reloaded (like Burly Brawl), only with people dying.
Even more impressive is tension build-up in several other episodes. The film frightens us most by showing how close are people to death in everyday life. The gas station episode shows it best. Cars narrowly miss each other, a man drops a gas-cylinder, dogs strain at leads. In that moment it is scary to see just a man fixing a lamp. Death is always around the corner, is always waiting for us to make a mistake. You can't help but think (half-seriously, but nevertheless) about miriads of small mistakes you make every day. Dropping a knife into the drawer, looking for the light-switch in the dark, holding a sharp object close to your face. Plain scary. And that even without mistakes made by others that can kill you just as well. Boo! :)
Most of the film is downright scary, but there are few darkly humorous scenes. These scenes(only a few, mind you) didn't improve the film, but didn't harm it either. One may like or dislike it, but this is a valid writer's/director's creative choice and we just have to accept it.
S P O I L E R: (Minor) I personally think that every lift (elevator) must have photoelectric cells in the doors (that prevent them from closing if something is there) and a big red stop button on the panel that immediately stops the lift when pressed. I nearly lost my dog once THAT way, but that red button saved it. If the lift that you need to use doesn't meet these standards of safety, you might be better off using the stairs.