Sure, Peter Stormare pops up again and there is a faint whisper of the game’s mythos, but at its core, this is a standalone survival horror story with time loops, masked killers and grotesque monsters, none of which need the Until Dawn name to stand tall.
Twisted (and hilarious) horror
Director David F. Sandberg, best known for his knack for visual scares (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation), keeps the tension tight and the pacing razor-sharp in the setup and middle portions. There is dark humour underlying the characters’ repeated, brutal deaths and their escalating panic as they figure out the rules of their bloody predicament. It is the kind of movie where, even as characters get picked off, the audience is laughing nervously, not because it is a comedy, but because the whole thing is so gleefully unhinged.
It is impossible not to think of Evil Dead (2013) while watching some of the more stomach-churning moments. The film does not hold back and the craftsmanship behind the practical effects deserves applause. Horror fans craving something tactile, something they can almost feel through the screen, will walk away grinning (or retching, depending on their tolerance).
While the setup and escalation shine, the film’s final act does not quite hit home. After building a compelling, chaotic mystery and offering satisfying jolts of tension and gore, Until Dawn tries to explain itself and in doing so, overreaches.
Still, even as the third act stumbles, the film never becomes a complete mess. It holds onto its core strengths: strong performances (especially from Ella Rubin and Michael Cimino), tight direction and sheer enthusiasm for the genre.
If this turns into a franchise and the ending certainly hints at that, here is hoping future instalments either go all-in on the game’s characters and plot or simply spin off into their own beast entirely. Great horror movies can stand on their own without having to lean on a video game’s popularity.
At the end of the day, Until Dawn is best approached with the mindset is to watch it like a standalone horror flick, not as a faithful game adaptation and the result is a gory, wild ride packed with thrills, chills and wickedly fun kills.
Hopefully, with this solid (if imperfect) foundation, the Until Dawn name will one day get the adaptation it truly deserves. But for now, this film stands as a gruesome, entertaining survival horror flick that is well worth watching, especially for those who appreciate their gore practical and their horror clever.
CAST: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Peter Stormare
PLOT: 7/10
ACTING: 8/10
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