Horror fans have long waited for a decent big-screen adaptation of a popular video game, and Until Dawn (2025) arrives with all the baggage that expectation brings. Directed by David F. Sandberg and loosely set in the universe of the Supermassive Games classic, the film leans into slasher-flick territory with an atmospheric, brutal twist — combining gruesome deaths, time loop mechanics, and strands of supernatural horror.
Story & Setup
Until Dawn opens with Clover (Ella Rubin) and her patchwork group of companions heading to the remote Glore Valley, desperate to discover what happened to Clover’s missing sister, Melanie. Rain pushes them into an abandoned visitor center, where details get quickly, and delightfully, weird: a wall of missing persons posters (including Melanie), a signature-filled guest book with inexplicable duplications, and foreboding warnings from a creepy gas station attendant. Before long, the group is violently hunted down by a masked killer — only to wake up and find the night has reset, all their deaths erased, the hellish events doomed to repeat.
As the “live, die, repeat” device spins up, Until Dawn keeps throwing new nightmares at the group: vengeful ghosts, possession, grotesque body horror (exploding after drinking tainted water!), and even the franchise’s signature wendigos. Each loop alters character fates and challenges, keeping the action unpredictable and the body count high.
What Works: Practical Terror, Brutal Imagination
- Strong Gore & Practical Effects: Critics are nearly unanimous — the film delivers on its slasher promises. Deaths are inventive, shocking, and rely heavily on practical effects, which provide a satisfyingly gritty, old-school horror feel. There’s a real tactile nastiness that fans of the genre will appreciate.
- Grounded Lead & Psychological Angle: Ella Rubin grounds Clover with vulnerability and grit. Despite the film’s supernatural escalation, it takes time for moments of emotional resonance and introspection, giving the survivors a touch more depth than is typical for ensemble slasher fodder.
- Pace & Variety: The time loop structure prevents the action from becoming stale. Each night offers new monsters and new character decisions; it’s less a simple retread than a horror puzzle with escalating stakes and violence. Fans of the “Groundhog Day” twist in horror (think Happy Death Day) may find plenty to enjoy.
Where It Falters: Adaptation Woes & Character Flatness
- Not the Game You Remember: For die-hard fans of the Until Dawn game, this isn’t a straightforward adaptation. Iconic locations, key characters like Josh, and major story beats are largely absent. There are wendigos, a masked killer, and even Dr. Hill, but the film is only loosely connected to the game’s lore, leading to disappointment for expecting faithful translation.
- Character Depth: The group dynamic is intentionally abrasive (few here are friends), which amps up the chaos but makes it hard to root for their survival or feel much when they inevitably meet grizzly ends. Some reviewers felt the cast was underwritten, their arcs basic, and the shift from game’s interactivity to film’s linear narrative exposes the characters as a little hollow.
- Uneven Pacing: With each night playing out differently, some loops drag, with one or two described as notably dull before the momentum picks up again.
Final Verdict
Until Dawn ultimately works best if you treat it as a fresh experiment in horror rather than a faithful recreation of its game roots. It’s a film of ideas (time loops! wendigos! exploding heads!), unapologetic violence, and the sick thrill of wondering how — or if — these characters can break the cycle.
Is it perfect? No. But for horror lovers, especially those with a taste for slasher chaos and supernatural flourishes, it’s a gory, fun, if fundamentally messy night at the movies. Press play without demanding deep characterization or game canon worship, and you just might survive the night — or at the very least, enjoy dying over and over again with the cast.
Rating : 4 / 5
Have you seen Until Dawn? Did the time loop twist keep you hooked, or did you long for the snowy heights and dark secrets of the original game? Let’s talk in the commentsments!