Video game-based horror movies have been around for quite some time, and I’m a big fan of them, even though I’m not an avid gamer. Watching these films feels like stepping into an actual video game, which is one of the reasons I enjoy them so much: I can immerse myself in the scenario, similar to the experience of a found-footage movie. After all, video games are like interactive movies or choose-your-own-adventure stories. This immersive quality is why they often transition so well into movie adaptations.
I have a few favorites that stand out: Silent Hill boasts some of my all-time favorite horror movie villains, with Pyramid Head as a particularly iconic figure. Resident Evil introduces the sinister Umbrella Corporation, a powerful and morally bankrupt biotech company responsible for unleashing devastating viral outbreaks and horrifying bioweapons upon the world. The Last of Us captivates audiences with its portrayal of unique Zombie-like creatures, specifically the Cordyceps-infected humans, which are transformed into terrifying, mushroom-like entities that add a fresh twist to the traditional Zombie genre, making the game’s horror aspects truly unforgettable.
…and I’ve never played any of these games. Does that make me the perfect candidate to review the films? Maybe not, but I would argue otherwise in the case of the most recent video game adaptation, Until Dawn.
The reviews for Until Dawn haven’t been very positive, especially from gamers who feel the film didn’t do justice to the 2015 PlayStation game. However, as a horror enthusiast, I found it fun! It boasts some intriguing supernatural killers and heaps of gore, making for an entertaining experience.
The story follows five college students who, while searching for one of the girls’ missing sisters, stumble upon a peculiar bed-and-breakfast in the heart of the woods. A relentless wall of rain cuts them off from the surrounding forest. As they explore the eerie house, the atmosphere evokes a sense of The Cabin in the Woods, with each character examining various objects and scattered papers throughout the abandoned space.
An hourglass is flipped, marking the passage of time as night unfolds, and during this period, the group fights to survive before time runs out. Gradually, a different killer or supernatural creature emerges, going on a rampage.
Faced with the possibility of losing one of their own, the friends resolve to either kill or be killed, hoping that by doing so, they can secure their escape in the next round.
The fun part of this movie is seeing the next killer, which ranges from a slasher with a mask and a giant ax to a creepy old witch, with everything in between. Bodies even explode into tiny pieces at one point! Each round lasts about 20 minutes, so after the third or fourth “night,” I started getting antsy. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time seeing this in the theater and jumped out of my seat multiple times. Jump scares galore! But it did start to get tedious wondering how this story would wrap up.
The cast doesn’t feature any big-name actors, and honestly, most of the performances were quite forgettable. Ella Rubin takes on the role of Clover, the main character, and she does a commendable job. I’m more familiar with Odessa A’zion, who plays Nina, Clover’s best friend. She gained recognition from the Hellraiser (2022) reboot and truly shines as an actress. I enjoyed her performance in this film, where she stands out as the most level-headed member of the friend group.
Overall, though, the acting was just passable. The dialogue also had its fair share of cheesiness; some lines made me cringe-laugh. However, I found it manageable and entertaining in a movie like this, where jump scares and gore take center stage.
Director David F. Sandberg is well-regarded for his work in the horror genre, particularly for the supernatural short film Lights Out (2013), its feature-length adaptation and Annabelle: Creation (2017), which added a solid entry to The Conjuring Universe. Additionally, the screenplay for Until Dawn was crafted by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, who has an impressive track record in horror writing, having penned scripts for Annabelle (2014), The Nun (2018) and both It films (2017, 2019).
With such a knowledgeable crew behind the scenes, one might wonder what went awry. Gamers often emerge as the harshest critics since they deeply understand the source material. Moreover, crafting a compelling time-loop movie can pose significant challenges. The goal is to keep the audience engaged while effectively conveying a message. Still, sometimes the repetition of the time loop can become draining and fail to introduce anything new to the storyline. Lastly, an anticlimactic third act can break what you’ve spent the runtime working toward, and unfortunately, the ending of this movie did not deliver.
Despite everything, I found myself enjoying this film. I went in with the mindset of simply looking forward to the creative kills and intriguing killers, and nothing beyond that. Plus, I attended with a friend who shares my love for horror, so we had a fantastic time jumping out of our skins and then quietly giggling afterward.
Experiencing horror is always more fun when you have friends by your side.
I would rate Until Dawn three out of five stars simply for the entertainment it brought me. It reminded me of horror films from the early 2000s, where a mix of cheesiness and over-the-top kills was enough to carry the story. While it certainly isn’t a masterpiece in any sense, the fact that I left the theater chatting about my favorite kill scenes shows its merits, making it a solid movie.
I should give horror movie gaming a try. However, I’m sure I’d scream so loud at the jump scares that I’d wake up the whole neighborhood. So, I think I’ll leave it to the experts instead.