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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
When all hell breaks loose, can you survive Until Dawn? Until Dawn is a very loose adaptation of the video game of the same name. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation), marking his return to the horror genre after directing both Shazam! films for the DC Extended Universe. Gary Dauberman (Salem’s Lot, The Conjuring franchise) and Blair Butler (The Invitation, Helstrom) serve as the co-writers.
This film marks a reunion between Dauberman and Sandberg, who had previously collaborated on Annabelle: Creation. Furthermore, the film stars Ella Rubin (Anora), Michael Cimino (Love, Victor), Odessa A’zion (Fam), Ji-young Yoo (Expats, Freaky Tales), Belmont Cameli (Saved by the Bell), Maia Mitchell (The Artful Dodger), and Peter Stromare (The Last Stand, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, 22 Jump Street, John Wick: Chapter 2).
Until Dawn follows a group of friends led by Clover (Rubin) as they retrace the steps of her missing sister, Melanie (Maia Mitchell), in an attempt to find her or gain closure. On their journey, they find themselves in a remote cabin where things get very weird. Each time the whole group dies, the night resets, and a new horror element is added into the mix. The only way to leave the cabin and the nightmare is to survive the night… until dawn.
Adaptation Woes
Before diving further into the review, an elephant in the room must be addressed—i.e., the nature of Until Dawn‘s adaptation. The truth of the matter is that Until Dawn is not an adaptation of the game. This is no surprise if you’ve paid attention to any of the marketing, but it does need to be said.
Instead of being a mishmash of different video games from a franchise like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it’s more akin to Prime Video’s Fallout television series. It’s set in the same world as the original game, uses similar imagery, and is interested in similar themes. That is important to know for fans of the game who have concerns about this film. Yes, it does follow similar narrative beats, but at the end of the day, Sandberg, Butler, and Dauberman’s Until Dawn movie is a separate story from PlayStation’s Until Dawn video game.
While it does not follow the game directly, it heavily relies on video game logic. This honestly makes it one of the better video game movies. It tries to take a typical movie structure of a time loop to feel more like a game, rather than force a video game narrative into the structure of a movie. With that said, this does lead to a structure for the film that is fun, but also frustrating.
Structural Concerns
Running at just over one hundred minutes, Until Dawn moves quickly. The film doesn’t waste much time setting up the premise and jumps right into the action. The time loop structure of the movie isn’t unfamiliar but is quite fun. Even then, it does feel as if the movie doesn’t explore enough of the loops. The loops that get the most screen time are those that are the most generic. By comparison, the more interesting loops are only briefly glimpsed. It leaves viewers wanting more but also unsatisfied.
Furthermore, the film’s transition into its third act is a little clunky and obnoxious. It’s as if the screenwriters didn’t know how to write themselves naturally to a third act, so they skipped right to it. This decision keeps the film moving along, which is appreciated, but also undercuts some tension and build. It speaks to the film’s larger issues with script and characters.
Generic Script and Characters
Unfortunately, given the minds behind this film’s script, it’s not really a surprise that it has turned out the way it did. Dauberman, best known for his work on The Conjuring franchise, never turns out scripts that rise above mediocre. All his work from The Nun, Salem’s Lot, to Until Dawn is chock-full of ideas, but never really goes beyond the surface level with them. The same is true of Butler, whose work on The Invitation is rather uninspired and more interested in the aesthetic of gothic horror than truly engaging with it.
Until Dawn could have been a unique and thoughtful exploration of how trauma manifests and how one moves beyond it. However, save for a couple of lines here and there, the film is more akin to an amusement park ride. Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with that, but at times, the film proclaims to make a bold statement on trauma; in reality, it’s not saying much at all. Anyone who has seen a movie before could easily tell you what this film’s thesis is going to be within five minutes, and the movie never attempts to meaningfully expand on that idea.
Similarly, the cast of characters is all very bland. This is par for the course, given that the game is a very generic slasher film that one gets to play through. This isn’t the worst thing in the world. However, the characters never get any real development beyond their initial traits. Most of the change is superficial, and you don’t walk out of the film with a great understanding of who these people are. Thankfully, the characters aren’t hateable. They are perfectly tolerable to watch on screen, which makes the whole viewing experience much more pleasant.
Decent Scares and Practical Effects
Until Dawn is never horrifying. A fine atmosphere is built throughout the film, and there are a few good jump scares. As a director, Sandberg is very at home in this genre. He carefully positions cinematographer Maxime Alexandre’s camera as well as the cast in all the right ways to maximize the effective horror of a given situation. In the hands of many other directors, this could be a much lesser film. Thankfully, Sandberg knows how and when to release the tension, making everything feel well-rounded.
One thing Until Dawn truly excels at is the practical effects. Many of the creatures and kills are done practically, and they all look phenomenal. It’s really a refreshing change of pace from the tons of CGI visual effects that run rampant in the industry. It makes everything feel that much more real and fun.
The Verdict on Until Dawn
Fans of the game are likely to be put off by Until Dawn, but if you’re unfamiliar with the game or willing to meet the film on its terms, then the film is a lot of fun. It won’t be winning any awards, but in a year when cinema releases have largely been lacking, a fun time at the movies is more than enough to be worth checking out.
Score: 3/5
Until Dawn is now playing in theaters!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
