Critics Have Seen Until Dawn. Did They Survive The Night With This ‘Ridiculous Grab-Bag Of Carnage’?

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2025 promises to be another fantastic year for horror enthusiasts, as there are even more terrifying films such as “Sinners” and “Hell of a Summer” scheduled for release. Among the upcoming horrors is “Until Dawn,” an adaptation from the widely popular video game, and prior to its April 25th premiere, critics were given an early viewing. Here’s what they had to say about it.

As a movie enthusiast, I found myself thoroughly entertained by “Until Dawn”. The communal experience of watching this horror flick with a crowd definitely amplified the suspense and terror. Just like Eric Eisenberg’s review suggests, the film is similar to indulging in tasty appetizers at a cocktail party – you savor each bite but still crave for more depth. In my opinion, “Until Dawn” deserves 3 out of 5 stars.

This film clearly showcases an affection for horror storytelling, meticulously constructed to encompass various aspects of the genre. Its core concept opens up possibilities for delving into numerous terrors. It’s brimming with enthusiasm and a solid foundation, yet it struggles to contain its immense potential, taking on more than it can handle in terms of scale. Consequently, while it’s entertaining, it leaves you feeling that with a bit more refinement, it could have been even more impactful.

According to Kristy Puchko from Mashable, the movie attempts to imitate gameplay while delving into various horror subgenres. However, similar to the opinion of TopMob’s critic, Puchko suggests that despite some interesting aspects, Until Dawn ultimately turns out to be a “sloppy mess.” She further elaborates on this point in her review.

Initially, incorporating a time loop mechanism into the movie adaptation seemed like an ingenious method to infuse some of the original gameplay dynamics into the narrative. In many video games, when a character dies, they’re sent back to the start of the level or a save point, allowing players to apply lessons from their mistakes to progress further next time.

However, there are two significant drawbacks to the use of this time-loop device in the movie Until Dawn. Firstly, it doesn’t accurately reflect how the game functioned. Secondly, and more importantly, the film abandons this device halfway through, without any discernible reason.

According to Alison Foreman of IndieWire, the film adaptation of “Until Dawn” received a B- grade. Foreman explains that director David F. Sandberg seems to have failed to grasp what made the video game enjoyable, as the movie is marred by underdeveloped characters, unimpressive scares, and plot inconsistencies. Further, in her review, Foreman points out these issues.

In a genre sandwiched between “Cabin in the Woods” and the enigmatic “Serenity”, “Until Dawn” tries its hand at being a sharp horror comedy, with some successful attempts and others not so much. If its purpose was to be a spoof, a more fitting title could have been “Video Game: The Horror Movie” (or perhaps “Horror Movie: The Video Game: The Horror Movie”) – a self-aware name that would have warned audiences of the over-the-top gore they were about to encounter and even emphasized the campy highlights in this puzzling endeavor.

In his review, Chase Hutchinson of IGN finds “Until Dawn” to be rated as ‘Mediocre’ with a score of 5 out of 10. He expresses that the game is more underwhelming than terrifying, and instead of living up to its horror genre potential, it settles for a confusing amalgamation of horror movie simulations. In his words, Hutchinson describes the game as being less about fear and suspense, and more about replicating horror film scenes.

In essence, Until Dawn bears similarities in title and certain aspects with its predecessor, yet it primarily strives to carve out its unique path – with varying success. David F. Sandberg, director of Annabelle: Creation, manages to create chilling moments filled with suspense and gore, notably through his cinematography of darkness. However, the subpar script undermines both him and the film, detracting from its overall quality. It’s not an utter failure, but as it navigates a sequence of horror classics, I found myself yearning for the day to break dawn prematurely.

According to Nick Schager from The Daily Beast, it’s advisable to give this film a miss, as it begins to grow sloppy following several deaths, using cellphone video montages to depict kills, and elsewhere, its ideas are so repetitive that Until Dawn sets a new standard for how poor a video game adaptation can be. Schager further elaborates:

As a movie reviewer, I found myself trapped in an endless loop of terror with David F. Sandberg’s latest film – a grisly take on Groundhog Day, where a group of friends find themselves stuck in a nightmarish cycle of violence and insanity. The plot mechanism, while intriguing, seemed to lack any semblance of internal coherence and was disappointingly short on shocking twists. Instead, we were served up stale clichés that felt as worn-out as the haunted mansion in which our characters were imprisoned.

Although Until Dawn‘s plot offers a unique opportunity to present various horror elements in a single film, it appears that critics find the final product less than captivating overall. However, it’s clear that the movie delivers on gory deaths and entertaining antics, potentially holding genre enthusiasts spellbound for an hour and 43 minutes.

If this sounds like a movie you want to check out, Until Dawn hits theaters on Friday, April 25.

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2025-04-24 18:46