Tags:
Film: Until Dawn
Year: 2025
Director: David F. Sandberg
Writers: Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler
Starring: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino and Odessa A’zion
Review:
Now this was a film that intrigued me. I know of the video game with the same name as my buddy, Mr. Watson is a big fan. I’ve never played it but know what the premise is. I was curious to see what they would do to bring this to movie form. Outside of what I’ve shared here, I heard mixed reviews and came blindly when I wasn’t able to make it to the theater for a 2025 horror film for a feature review.
Synopsis: a group of friends trapped in a time loop, where mysterious foes chase and kill them in gruesome ways, must survive until dawn to escape it.
We start this with a cold open. There’s a woman in a tunnel trying to flee. She climbs up and comes out of the ground. She’s unfortunately met by someone with a long scythe. What we’ll learn soon is that her name is Melanie Paul (Maia Mitchell).
This then shifts one year into the future. Melanie has been missing. Her sister is looking for her. Her name is Clover (Ella Rubin). With her on the search is Max (Michael Cimino), who is Clover’s ex-boyfriend. There is Nina (Odessa A’zion) and her boyfriend, Abe (Belmont Cameli). They also have Megan (Ji-young Yoo). What is interesting about her is that she claims to be psychic.
Their search brings them to a gas station. Clover is matching it up with a video that her sister sent. She goes inside to ask the attendant, Alan (Peter Stormare), if he’s seen her. He recognizes her. He also brings up that there are a lot of missing people in the nearby area of Glore Valley. This is where our group then heads next.
Now something I’ll include here is that Abe is new to the group. He questions if what they’re doing is good for Clover. She has clung to the hope that her sister is still alive. This drive leads them through a horrible storm that just seems to stop by an old hotel. Our group starts to look around, for anybody or to see if there are clues. This leads them to finding more than they expected.
Abe discovers a wall of posters, including missing person notices. One is for Melanie. The problem is that none have identifying information. Nina finds a guest book signed by Melanie. Clover is pulled back from the storm. Inside, they're attacked and killed by a masked figure. A mysterious hourglass resets the night, allowing them to remember and try to escape their recurring demise. They must uncover the truth before they are permanently integrated into the strange events.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is with giving credit to the concept of this film. Now I read a review that the Until Dawn video game doesn’t let you respawn if you’re killed. Since I’ve not played it, I won’t hold it against the film. Having played video games most of my childhood and into being an adult, I love using that element here. It would be terrifying to be killed, then returned to life to do it again. It is a variation on the Groundhog Day idea, which feels like they borrowed from video games.
Then let’s dive into what this film is doing. It has a classic setup. We get the cold open of someone being chased, then we assume they are killed. It introduces us to our group before they’re trapped. It then becomes a slasher film with a masked killer. Credit to this film for also shifting into a much bigger, overarching idea. It does remind me of another movie that I won’t share here. It doesn’t go as far, but still does something out of the normal.
The concept of reliving a night and surviving until morning is compelling. I appreciate that injuries, like Max's black eye from being stabbed, are cumulative, reflecting the toll taken on characters. This aligns with the idea of enduring punishment; a theme Happy Death Day touched upon but then abandoned. However, the notion of characters transforming due to this punishment feels underdeveloped and forced.
Something else that explores would be the town's history, revealing a tragedy that caused it to sink due to unsafe mines. Alan's character is introduced but feels underdeveloped, as if the idea was abandoned. This section drags on too long without justification, causing my interest to decline.
Let’s then discuss the acting performances. Overall, I found it to be good. The acting, while not stellar, fits the slasher genre. Rubin shines as the lead, convincingly portraying a sister searching for answers after their mother's passing, driven by shared grief. Mitchell was effective in his role, and Cimino, A’zion, Yoo, and Cameli provided strong supporting performances, adding personality to their characters. Stormare, a favorite character actor, was also solid. The actors playing killers and creatures deserve recognition too.
All that is left then is filmmaking. Despite runtime issues, the cinematography, framing, and practical effects were commendable, creating an eerie atmosphere with varied kills. While some CGI faltered, it didn't ruin the experience. The film could have been a great modern slasher with better story development or trimming the fat to make it run tighter. The soundtrack was fine but unmemorable. This didn’t have any glaring issues.
In conclusion, this offers an intriguing concept, blending a slasher narrative with a time-loop mechanic reminiscent of the video game. While it boasts solid acting and commendable filmmaking elements like cinematography and practical effects, its narrative struggles with underdeveloped ideas and an excessive runtime. Despite its flaws, the film provides a unique spin on the horror genre, making it a decent watch for fans of slashers with a twist, though it ultimately falls short of its full potential.
My Rating: 6.5 out of 10