'Technically impossible' MRI death scene in new horror flick sparking irrational fears of routine imaging
A newly released horror film has social media users suddenly very anxious about the safety of routine MRI scans.
In line with all the prior “Final Destination” movies, “Final Destination Bloodlines” gave movie goers plenty of new scenarios to irrationally fear. One of the death scenes—featuring an MRI scanner—is being described as especially gruesome.
In the scene, two brothers attempting to cheat death find themselves in an unfortunate situation (of their own making) near a suite with a 7 Telsa MRI scanner. When the scanner begins to inexplicably increase its magnetic field strength, the scene goes awry, ending in two gruesome deaths involving metal projectiles.
Of course, the scene was dramatized, and the MRI safety risks were extremely exaggerated. However, many social media movie fanatics took to platforms like X and Reddit to express their newfound fears related to MRI scanners.
One X user posted, “The MRI sequence in #FinalDestinationBloodlines had me squirming in my seat.”
Others described it as “wild,” “brutal” and “the most traumatic death” in the movie franchise’s decades long history. One Reddit user took to the platform to ask if what happened in the scene was capable of transpiring in real life, while a different X user expressed anxiety about their own MRI scan scheduled for later in the week.
The latter is a concern for MRI safety expert, Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MR architect and founder of Gilk Radiology Consultants, who briefly spoke with Health Imaging about. His fear is that the social media hype over the MRI scene will spur unnecessary anxiety for patients, as what transpired in the scene is, in fact, impossible.
“What the movie shows about the MRI is contrived, much of it is incorrect or technically impossible, and I hope it doesn't scare any patients away from getting indicated MRI scans,” Gilk said. “I would hope that every potential MRI patient who sees this disregards it as a piece of complete fiction.”
While there are real safety risks involved with MRI scanners—there have been several serious accidents reported in recent years—the vast majority of exams are completed safely and without incident. That’s thanks to skilled technologists who thoroughly screen patients prior to their exam and safety experts who research and develop appropriate protocols that prioritize patient safety.
Although he hopes that patients won’t take the scene seriously, Gilk indicated that it could serve as a healthy reminder for healthcare workers about the power of MRI scanners and how careful staff should be around the imaging suite.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.