Until Dawn (2025) Review

Published 8/02/2025

Rating : 6/10 Good, Not Great.

I played the Until Dawn game for all of ten minutes. I recall racing down a trail with a monster behind me, and dying, a lot. I had to make this run in a precise way otherwise I'd start over. After my 4th attempt I decided this isn't the game for me. Not that I couldn't eventually master the controls, but if my irritation level is already rising and I barely started this game, that doesn't bode well.

That was ten years ago. Fast forward to today: I skipped seeing this film in theaters partly because of my weak prejudice of the game. I had no real connection to the story, or franchise so spending $12 + popcorn for Until Dawn's theatrical release wasn't a priority. I guess neither was renting it. Thank goodness we have Netflix! After watching Until Dawn in one run I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the cast and the use of practical effects for the various kills, but the script was severely lacking. It doesn't help matters David F. Sandberg (of Lights out fame) strays away from the source material pretty badly.

For video game adaptations to work there has to be a fine balance between satisfying the fans expectations and converting a video game into watchable cinema. Silent Hill (2006) is largely considered a good adaptation of the original Silent Hill game, while Silent Hill Revelations (2012) is putrid. Until Dawn falls somewhere in between. There's plenty to like in Until Dawn, and you may enjoy it more if you didn't play the game.

The film follows Clover, her clingy ex-boyfriend Max, her friends: Nina and Megan, and Nina's grumpy, stilted boyfriend, Abe. Together they are retracing the steps of Clover's missing sister, Melanie. Yes, if you've seen this introduction before buckle up! It gets worse. The group stops by a gas station (surprise!) from which Melanie had previously sent a message, and Clover meets the station attendant, Hill. A sullen, unshaven man because that's the only type of person gas stations employ. He claims that people tend to go missing near a mining town called Glore Valley I kept thinking that read as "Gore Valley", maybe it did. Anyways, the group drives there, but heavy rainfall forces them to seek shelter at a visitor center. Rainfall that doesn't fall on the house.

This begins what I can only describe as a series of, 'what the hell's!' that lasts well past the 45 minute mark. Indeed, we get to spend half the movie asking ourselves just what the hell is happening. This is not a good sign. Yes, there's plenty of kills and blood spills to satiate our thirst for gore, but that's all Until Dawn has going for itself. By the halfway mark in the movie we should have a good enough feel for the plot, and well on our way to follow our brave protagonists fight to survive and win. It's not until the final ten minutes do we get a barely recognizable plot done by way of exposition, and by that time we could care less.

Beyond the non-existent script we do have plenty of gore effects to applaud. David Sandberg leaves no wall unsplattered or body dismembered. There is a level of energy sustained by the cast that is undeniable. Each actor is game for whatever is thrown their way, and it reflects in their performances. While the killers are varied at the beginning, their novelty wears off. Many a reviewer has commented on the back half of this film losing steam which is true.

Done in the spirit of Cabin in the Woods (2011) but without the big twist at the end sinks Until Dawn's chances of becoming something memorable. A good watch, but nothing to write home about.