Ella Rubin in UNTIL DAWN. © 2024 Screen Gems, Inc. and TSG Entertainment II LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By Kerry Brown
Photo By Kerry Brown
Until Dawn tosses out some tempting terrors. Though this video game adaptation plays fast and loose with its source material, there are horrifying highlights. While its strengths may not be in capturing its inspirations, Until Dawn delivers enough gruesome delights to be fun for fright fans seeking something new.
The story follows a group of friends on a solemn road trip. They’re attempting to put the past behind them by retracing the last known steps of a missing close comrade. At the final stop, a fresh clue leads them to Glore Valley. This mysterious isolated location soon traps them in a nightmarish loop. Death comes ripping in increasingly murderous, inhuman forms, but time keeps repeating, resurrecting them for fresh ruin. Yet, their bodies and sanity can only take so much before breaking irreparably. The only way to escape is to make it until dawn.
The story follows a group of friends on a solemn road trip. They’re attempting to put the past behind them by retracing the last known steps of a missing close comrade. At the final stop, a fresh clue leads them to Glore Valley. This mysterious isolated location soon traps them in a nightmarish loop. Death comes ripping in increasingly murderous, inhuman forms, but time keeps repeating, resurrecting them for fresh ruin. Yet, their bodies and sanity can only take so much before breaking irreparably. The only way to escape is to make it until dawn.
Peter Stormare and Ella Rubin star in UNTIL DAWN. © 2024 Screen Gems, Inc. and TSG Entertainment II LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo By Kerry Brown
This is definitely the kind of movie that delights in saying its own title. Fortunately, Until Dawn rarely strays into the ironic realm of metacommentary. What could easily have been a Cabin in the Woods (2011) knockoff strives to do its own thing. That isn’t to imply the film is without generic aspects. The filmmakers do their best to deliver familiar notes in sharp stinging jump scares that’ll catch veteran horror hounds off guard as well as a delightful intensity to certain set pieces.
For instance, the slasher villain of the story throws victims around with wince inducing ferocity. There’s brutality to every encounter which makes them engagingly gruesome. In addition, the hapless band of comrades constantly being killed are proactive from the first. At risk of spoilers, these kids don’t cower when the slasher comes killing, they fail hard trying to fight back. And that homicidal juggernaut’s retaliation is gloriously gory.
That isn’t to say Until Dawn isn’t peppered with perpetual idiot plot instances. The film does rely a little too much on moronic decisions clearly intended to put people in peril. Plus, the proactive nature of main characters somewhat diminishes as the movie inclines toward montages to fit in more slaughter than story.
For instance, the slasher villain of the story throws victims around with wince inducing ferocity. There’s brutality to every encounter which makes them engagingly gruesome. In addition, the hapless band of comrades constantly being killed are proactive from the first. At risk of spoilers, these kids don’t cower when the slasher comes killing, they fail hard trying to fight back. And that homicidal juggernaut’s retaliation is gloriously gory.
That isn’t to say Until Dawn isn’t peppered with perpetual idiot plot instances. The film does rely a little too much on moronic decisions clearly intended to put people in peril. Plus, the proactive nature of main characters somewhat diminishes as the movie inclines toward montages to fit in more slaughter than story.
Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A’zion star in UNTIL DAWN. © 2024 Screen Gems, Inc. and TSG Entertainment II LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo By Kerry Brown
Thematically there’s an attempt to tell a tale about trauma. Given the landscape of contemporary horror, that’s a common metaphor these days. The problem here is how it feels tacked on as opposed to a real narrative core. Until Dawn spells out its intention in a flashback halfway through then again during a villain’s monologue at the finale. Robbed of any subtlety, the movie essentially becomes a vehicle for slaughter setups.
Granted, some of these are spectacular. At one point—apologies for implicative spoilers—they even get comically extreme. Not to mention humorously surprising. During the press screener I hosted, the audience more than once howled and applauded in delight when some unexpected gory end erupted on screen. Until Dawn knows when to change gears, shifting between mirthful and malevolent, to keep the audience interested.
As such, it’s odd the filmmakers failed to better capture the video game. There are some easter egg elements. Rarely do these come across as strong plot points. Many of them, even creature and killer designs, could have been swapped out for myriad other murderous marvels. Consequently, fans of the video game might feel they didn’t get an adaptation so much as a horror movie with a misleading veneer.
Granted, some of these are spectacular. At one point—apologies for implicative spoilers—they even get comically extreme. Not to mention humorously surprising. During the press screener I hosted, the audience more than once howled and applauded in delight when some unexpected gory end erupted on screen. Until Dawn knows when to change gears, shifting between mirthful and malevolent, to keep the audience interested.
As such, it’s odd the filmmakers failed to better capture the video game. There are some easter egg elements. Rarely do these come across as strong plot points. Many of them, even creature and killer designs, could have been swapped out for myriad other murderous marvels. Consequently, fans of the video game might feel they didn’t get an adaptation so much as a horror movie with a misleading veneer.
Ella Rubin in UNTIL DAWN. © 2024 Screen Gems, Inc. and TSG Entertainment II LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo By Kerry Brown
There’s an argument to be made the film took its liberties so hardcore Until Dawn devotees stay in the dark. They won’t have any foreknowledge of what’s going to happen next. How satisfying that decision is for fans who want to see the game they love on the silver screen remains to be seen. It’s likely to be divisive at best since there’s also room to argue this isn’t Until Dawn in anything except title.
Sure, certain visual elements and scenes connect the film with the game, but too often the latter does them better. Case in point, the wendigos featured in the movie have a degree of creepiness. They don’t hold a candle to the video game’s haunting abominations.
As such, fans of the franchise might do best divorcing themselves from the notion this is a quality adaptation. It’s more of a series of easter eggs implying a thin connection. But going into the feature, treating it like a standalone horror movie that just happens to have the title Until Dawn paves the way to at least enjoying some satisfying scares and slaughter.
Sure, certain visual elements and scenes connect the film with the game, but too often the latter does them better. Case in point, the wendigos featured in the movie have a degree of creepiness. They don’t hold a candle to the video game’s haunting abominations.
As such, fans of the franchise might do best divorcing themselves from the notion this is a quality adaptation. It’s more of a series of easter eggs implying a thin connection. But going into the feature, treating it like a standalone horror movie that just happens to have the title Until Dawn paves the way to at least enjoying some satisfying scares and slaughter.
Odessa A’zion in UNTIL DAWN. © 2024 Screen Gems, Inc. and TSG Entertainment II LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By Kerry Brown
Photo By Kerry Brown
Peter Stormare (Swedish Dicks) is wonderfully creepy as one would expect. His character could almost use more screen time. Odessa A’zion continues her ability to steal scenes the same as she did in Fresh Kills (2024). Despite this being a slasher romp, she manages to have some seriously potent moments. Frankly, I think she should have been the lead. That isn’t to say Ella Rubin (Anora) does a bad job. Her performance just lacks the punch necessary to be memorable, which is a recurring problem with most of the cast. They deliver believable acting, yet just enough to keep the audience engaged until the real star attraction.
Until Dawn is all about the slaughter. It is never afraid to be bloody. Kills sometimes arrive startlingly quick. This is an excellent example of how horror movies can be a funhouse ride of frights. Veteran horror aficionados may likely have seen more nightmarish depictions of demise, but that doesn’t mean a snob shouldn’t get off their high horse to simply have fun with the casual fright fans who will be wickedly watching doom descend on these unfortunate folks.
Anyone looking for a casual Saturday night scare should assemble the tribe for beer and pizza. Until Dawn is initially only going to be in theaters, but I think you get my point. This flick could be a fabulous night out for fear fans, even if that means shredding it afterward because it wasn’t a proper close adaptation. Those willing to treat Until Dawn as its own movie, though, will have fun watching it once.
Until Dawn is all about the slaughter. It is never afraid to be bloody. Kills sometimes arrive startlingly quick. This is an excellent example of how horror movies can be a funhouse ride of frights. Veteran horror aficionados may likely have seen more nightmarish depictions of demise, but that doesn’t mean a snob shouldn’t get off their high horse to simply have fun with the casual fright fans who will be wickedly watching doom descend on these unfortunate folks.
Anyone looking for a casual Saturday night scare should assemble the tribe for beer and pizza. Until Dawn is initially only going to be in theaters, but I think you get my point. This flick could be a fabulous night out for fear fans, even if that means shredding it afterward because it wasn’t a proper close adaptation. Those willing to treat Until Dawn as its own movie, though, will have fun watching it once.
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