The Wasteland Reviewer

Until Dawn (2025) Written Review

How hard is it to adapt a horror video game to the big screen? If you look at every single Resident Evil adaptation…you know it is quite the feat. Horror is a tough genre to master as the ability to build real tension and suspense and even terror is quite complicated. You can certainly get cheap scares with jump scares and you can channel films that come before them. But it takes some real filmmaking prowess to deliver real terror and on screen. Director David F. Sandberg has delivered some impressive and scary efforts with Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation (before venturing into comic book movies). But this time, he and writer Gary Dauberman tackle a beloved horror video game in Until Dawn. 

Do they leverage the compelling concept behind the game for quality storytelling and terror? There are a couple of elements that have so much potential to work with. This idea of a murderous Groundhog Day set is such an interesting and fresh idea. Then you have the setting which turns out to be a sunken city in the ground. There are plenty of intriguing elements to explore her. Unfortunately, much of Until Dawn leans into solid but not memorable homage. There is a slasher night (that becomes a recurring theme throughout the film). There is a demon possession element. There is a witch. Their first few evenings trapped in their town feel a little uninspired for sure. The third act of the film is where the storytelling and horror elements finally take shape. There is a sequence that is a series of videos that highlight some of the more disturbing experiences of our stranded crew. 

Does Sandberg elevate some of the more familiar elements of the film? His ability to leverage some unnerving imagery and gore is quite impressive and works well for the film. There are some pacing issues here or there (especially when there is a big jump in days after some stretched out singular days) but the film is consistently engaging and eerie. That sequence referenced early with some quick montages of the characters dying in crazy ways lets Sandberg show off a bit with his creative kills. There are some gory moments throughout the film (including one explosive evening) which have an extra impact on some of these kills. There are some expertly staged scares with creative flair sprinkled into a film that feel a little too familiar too often. Camera work and block stand out in a few moments as well, especially as Sandberg leverages the visual of the hourglass. You must check some serious logic at the door and just buy it in, but it certainly has its moments. 

Does the cast and their characters add some depth to the film? Generally, there are no performances that really stand out as this young cast can sell the fear for sure and some physicality. Michael Cimino and Odessa A’zion are the most recognizable in the cast and they are good for sure. But Ella Rubin is saddled with anchoring down the film as our lead, Clover, and she brings some solid emotion to the table. Ji-young Yoo and Belmont Cameli do fine jobs as well. Peter Stormare gets to ham it up a bit and be creepy as the lone veteran presence in the cast. The group of characters have enough connections and conflict to add some extra drama to all these horror tropes and elements. Clover’s search for her sister and the trauma that lingers with her brings the emotion core to the film. Clover’s connection with Cimino’s Max is another added thread to inject a bit of emotion along the way. Yoo’s Megan is the one connected to spirits and that trait is leveraged for plenty of short cuts in the storytelling. Cameli’s Abe is a pseudo-antagonistic figure in the film as well. Serviceable all around but never deep enough to really stand out. 

Does Until Dawn create some hope for other horror game adaptations out there? Not a ton. This is a rock solid and effective cinematic experience that cherry picks some solid elements from this horror game. For a film with some interesting ideas, Sandberg and company lean too heavily on some tired tropes and motifs with Until Dawn only standing out when it leans into something fresh for itself. Overall entertaining and creepy, Sandberg’s film is not going to blow people away but it is a good reference point.