As someone who hasn’t played the video game upon which this film is based, and is only vaguely familiar with its plot outline, I’m coming into David F. Sandberg‘s adaptation with horror movie eyes. And in that regard, the Lights Out director – returning to the genre that made him a name after dipping his toe in the comic book field with the Shazam movies – delivers a surprisingly fun, oft gory survivalist horror effort in Until Dawn, which gets away with its ridiculousness because it’s so open with the bonkers potential such holds.
Derived from the Sony video game of the same name, set in the same universe, but taking on an original storyline that expands upon the game’s mythology (and butterfly effect system in which characters essentially choose their own fate, depending on their movements), Sandberg’s feature basically comes across as an excuse to throw in as many horror genre cliches and villain types into one violent package, albeit tied together with a standard narrative that doesn’t distance itself from many other pretty-types-in-peril movies. That being said, Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler‘s script is all too aware of the notion that if something isn’t broken, why fix it, so we’re perfectly on board with our band of could-be victims – especially as they’re written here.
Our “final girl” archetype is encapsulated in Clover (Ella Rubin), who has pooled her friend group together for a doomed road trip of sorts as she traces the last known steps of her missing sister, Melanie (Maia Mitchell), who mysteriously disappeared a year prior. Thinking she’s found a lead, Clover and company – which consists of fiery Nina (Odessa A’zion), her boyfriend, Abe (Belmont Cameli), nice guy Max (Michael Cimino), and the spiritually intuitive Megan (Ji-young Yoo) – visit an Airbnb-type dwelling situated deep in a remote valley, where Melanie’s signature adorns the guest book over and over again, distressingly getting harder to read with each entry.
It’s equally confusing as it is concerning, but it starts to make sense when, after Nina signs the book, they’re all horrifically murdered, only to wake up moments later at the very spot they started in the house. They’re all aware they were just murdered, and they each start to adorn injuries related to however they were brutally offed, and it becomes increasingly clear that there’s only so many nights they can keep this up before they succumb to death permanently. On an endless loop, they garner clues each time the night resets, with their ultimate goal being to survive until dawn to make it past whatever death curse possesses them.
Like a gory Groundhog Day, Dauberman and Butler’s script indulges in all the horrific manners in which the cast can be disposed of, and with an emphasis on practical effects, Until Dawn certainly brings a morbid level of fun to proceedings as it slices, dices, explodes (literally) and beats its ensemble to their ends. Sometimes the characters welcome their demise if it gets them a step closer to solving the intricacies of the time loop. Others, it exposes cracks within their dynamic and forces them against each other as there’s an occasional divide into what actions they should take; let’s just say Nina and Abe may not be as functional as a couple as they originally thought.
As wild and amusing the film proves to be, it ultimately remembers that there’s something of a mystery to solve, and, ironically, when it attempts to make sense of itself, it loses its absurd edge, which is what makes it so entertaining. Rubin gives Clover enough spunk and likeability that we do want her to solve Melanie’s disappearance, and Peter Stormare entering proceedings in hammy villain mode is never a bad thing, but Until Dawn really comes out of the gate running with its unexpected set pieces that its conclusion feels all the more customary.
I certainly can’t speak to how fans of the game will react to Until Dawn‘s packaging as a film, but, from what I understand, it clearly hones the spirit of the medium, whilst aiming for something more than just a cinematic rehash of the source material. For the horror enthusiasts, like myself, I dare say many will enjoy the gory folly of it all, with it getting away so easily with its bonkers approach because it’s quite open about the fact that none of this should be taken seriously.
As great as it is for horror to puncture through the basics of the genre with its elevated possibilities, sometimes you just want some carnage candy, and Until Dawn serves up enough to satisfy the audience’s sweet tooth.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Until Dawn is now screening in Australian theatres. It will open in the United States on April 25th, 2025.
