I’m proud to be Filipino. While I believe representation in film and television has been much better in recent years, you’d be hard pressed to find many major studio franchises centered on Filipino families or characters, let alone long-running horror franchises. Which is why I got really excited when I saw Final Destination: Bloodlines was centered on a mixed Filipino family! That meant the world to me, as did getting a chance to speak with the stars that brought that family to life: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, and Rya Kihlstedt.

The Final Destination films have nothing to prove to anyone in terms of being ridiculously over-the-top horror entertainment. It is a franchise that doesn’t take much to get its core fanbase frothing at the mouth for more. As long as the kills are clever, the blood flies, and the suspense is to die for, this is one movie series that can actually cheat death over and over.

To my surprise, Final Destination: Bloodlines gave us all that, but also tried to be more. At its core, Bloodlines ends up being a surprising, albeit tragic, story about family. In this case, a Filipino family. While the cultural identity of these characters may not be central to the plot, it’s woven in the fibers, backstories, and worlds of these characters. Star Santa Juana worked with the directors extensively to make sure that Filipino authenticity was achieved throughout the familial scenes and dynamic. Which honestly, for a movie about blood and dread, kind of warms my heart!

Take a look at what Santa Juana, Briones, and Kihlstedt had to say about their on-screen family dynamic and Pinoy pride in Final Destination: Bloodlines:

Final Destination: Bloodlines hits theaters this Friday, May 16. And be on the look out for our interviews with directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, and stars Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, and Anna Lore.