‘Until Dawn’: Another video game adaptation fails to live up to its source material

At this point we know that video games adapted into TV shows or movies is difficult, and more frequently than not, they end in disappointment (unless, of course, we’re talking about The Last of Us). For Until Dawn, fans of the game will certainly be left wanting more.

Directed by David F. Sandberg, starring Ella Rubin, Odessa A’zion, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell and Peter Stormare, there’s a lot of talent behind the movie. But Until Dawn can’t seem to navigate the interesting puzzle elements of the game to craft a movie that’s as compelling.

Until Dawn release date: Now in theatres
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Ella Rubin, Odessa A’zion, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, Peter Stormare
Runtime: 103 minutes

What is ‘Until Dawn’ about?

One year ago Clover’s (Ella Rubin) sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell) left home and mysteriously disappeared. Clover has now recruited her friends to head to Glore Valley to investigate what possibly happened to Melanie.

When they arrive at an manor, they face the threat of a masked killer.

But as they’re each killed, they realize they’re stuck there and forced to die over and over again, until they figure out how to escape.

Is ‘Until Dawn’ worth watching?

What makes Until Dawn feel particularly sluggish is that there is such a promising setup. The concept of these characters dying over and over again opens up this world to so many different possibilities for shocking and entertaining deaths, but that potential is just never harnessed.

Instead, the repeated deaths start to feel dull, featuring the most obvious options and horror topes, taking away that excitement from the story.

It’s not that the practical effects don’t succeed in terms of the look, but the impact is lost with the way the narrative is crafted.

In terms of our introduction to this world, it doesn’t feel fleshed out enough to give us a solid foundation for these characters before we get to the horror elements of the story.

Ji-young Yoo’s Megan is probably the most interesting character of the bunch. She described herself as a clairvoyant and you feel her emotional journey more so than you do for even the lead character, Clover.

While Until Dawn feels dull in its story, the production design is still impressively alluring, building the creepy setting in a way that adds to the suspense.

To enjoy Until Dawn, it’s best to not take things too seriously and not try to dissect every detail. It’s more about enjoying the visuals and having a few laughs, with a light scare or two. There are a number of questions you’ll likely have about why these horrors are even happen in the film, and the answers don’t satisfy.

Until Dawn is a fine horror film, but much of it feels like we’re just grazing the surface of the subject matter, when something more robust seemed possible.