May 27, 2025
The woman said she now suffers from panic attacks and physical trauma from the eerie ordeal.
In an instance of life imitating art, a ceiling collapsed on a woman watching Final Destination at a movie theater in Argentina.
Fiamma Villaverde was celebrating her birthday this month by watching the newly-released horror flick that seemingly influenced her real life. While watching the newest installment of Final Destination with her 11-year-old daughter and friend, Villaverde escaped a near-death experience, just like the characters in the cult classic.
“We hadn’t planned on going to the movies,” Villaverde told Infobae. “It was my birthday, we were out walking, and passed by the cinema. We said, ‘Shall we go?’”
The group bought tickets to the film after noticing reduced ticket prices for the May 19 screening. However, things swiftly took a turn when the moviegoers heard a noise that shocked the theater in La Plata.
“There was a loud noise. At first, we thought it was part of the movie because we were really into it, but then a chunk fell on me,” recalled Villaverde.
While the 29-year-old felt debris hit multiple parts of her body, a stroke of luck helped her evade a head injury.
She added, “It didn’t hit my head because I happened to be leaning over the armrest.”
She and her loved ones were able to escape the damaged theater, immediately going to management for a refund. However, a supervisor’s request to settle the matter offended Villaverde.
“Settle what? I’m going to file a complaint. What if it had hit my daughter in the head? You’re irresponsible!” she reportedly told them.
While first responders attempted to transport her to a local hospital, Villaverde opted to seek medical care in her hometown of Berisso on her own. There, doctors told her she suffered from physical trauma due to the debris.
“I was furious … They did an X-ray. The diagnosis was trauma from the impact. I also have several bruises and need another X-ray on my back in a few days,” she said.
Now, Villaverde continues to suffer from panic attacks since the incident. She has also developed a fear of going into crowded places, with her birthday now seen as a tragedy.
“I’m under psychiatric treatment and on medication,” added the woman. “It’s hard for me to be in crowded places. I hadn’t been to the movies in years. I went because it was my birthday, and look what happened.”
Despite her distress, Villaverde has yet to take official legal action against the theater. However, she has consulted with a lawyer about her next steps to seek justice for herself and her daughter. The trauma has also impacted her job, as Villaverde has yet to return to work as a nightclub cleaner, despite being the sole support for her child.
In light of this, she wants someone to take responsibility for what happened to her.
“I haven’t been able to work for days. Who’s going to take responsibility for this?” she told the outlet.
As for the theater’s ceiling, onlookers believed that heavy rains in the area contributed to its destruction. The filmmakers of Final Destination have yet to comment on the viral ordeal.
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