Movie theater customers are willing to pay a little extra money to get an experience that’s more immersive, but some found out the hard way last week that there’s definitely a line where it all becomes too immersive. Argentinian patrons at Cinema Ocho in La Plata were attending a screening of Final Destination: Bloodlines in Buenos Aires when the roof collapsed, sending rubble and debris onto everyone in the theater.
According to local media reports, it was initially very chaotic, as confused attendees didn’t know if it was part of the movie. There were reportedly 40 or so inside the theater, and they heard a loud noise. Suddenly, bits of the roof started falling and striking people sitting in their seats. One lady, who was attending a screening on her birthday, told InfoBae that she had to go to the hospital for X-Rays and had already consulted a lawyer. Others reportedly suffered bruises and scrapes, though thankfully no one seems to have suffered serious long-term physical damage.
The roof collapse would have attracted media attention regardless of what was being screened at the time, but the fact that it was Final Destination has turned the incident into international news. The franchise is known for its grisly injuries and shocking deaths, and its screenings in 4DX let people sit in something called the Death Chair.
Personally, don’t think there’s a movie franchise that makes me more uncomfortable than Final Destination. There are other horror movies that have individual scarier moments, even entire movies that are more effective, but nothing I’ve ever watched has lingered with me and made me more consistently think what if.
I’m not the only one either. My wife says “this looks like something out of Final Destination” on a semi regular basis whenever we encounter a situation that seems unsafe, and I’ve heard similar sentiments from dozens of other people over the years.
So, if I was sitting in a Final Destination screening and the roof collapsed, I can’t imagine what sort of panic would be running through my head. You never know exactly how you would react in stressful moments, but I imagine I’d be running for the doors quickly. My heart would already be racing from the movie, which would make anything like this feel even scarier.
Some are pointing to an increase in storms and rain as a possible reason why the Buenos Aires-based theater suddenly started breaking apart. Clearly, there will be an investigation, as it sounds like there’s a strong chance there will be lawsuits or at least some kind of negotiations.
Fortunately, that’s been, as far as I know, the only bit of weirdness in any Final Destination screenings around the world. The film won its opening weekend at the box office earlier this month, and it put up a strong third place showing this past weekend against Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible 8. I’d imagine it’ll continue its run for awhile. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should check it out. It’s quite good, at least provided you’re able to see it between the falling pieces of rubble.
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