This article includes spoilers for the “Until Dawn” movie.
I’ve been pondering how to adapt “Until Dawn” into a film. Supermassive Games crafted it as a 10-hour interactive cinematic experience using choice-driven butterfly effect mechanics. It feels like a playable indie horror movie, thanks to writers Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick. So, simply turning it into a film wouldn’t work. On the other hand, creating a movie that doesn’t embrace the game’s “choose your own adventure” approach seems off. When Sony announced an adaptation, it felt puzzling, and after watching, it still seems so.
David F. Sandberg’s film seems to miss the essence of what makes Supermassive’s game unique.
Writers Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler chose to adapt the game’s title literally. This “Until Dawn” involves a time-loop horror theme where a group of young adults faces various threats and must survive until sunrise. Whenever someone dies, they reset, thanks to an ominous hourglass. Dying repeatedly turns them into wendigos, part of Dr. Alan J. Hill’s twisted experiments. The central plot of a missing sibling remains—Ella Rubin’s character, Clover, is searching for her sister—but they’re not on Blackwood Mountain yet. It’s not rooted in the same critical choices that reshape paths.
This isn’t the “Until Dawn” fans know.
In the game, death has serious consequences. One wrong move, even a nervous twitch during a “stay still” moment, could mean disaster. This tension is key, but Dauberman and Butler opted for a different route, losing that gripping suspense.
In many ways, the movie feels like a beginner’s attempt at recreating “Cabin in the Woods.” Glore Valley is soaked in rain, except for an oddly sunny spot, eerily controlled by a horror movie god-like presence, reminiscent of “Cabin in the Woods.” Dr. Hill has an all-seeing role, guiding events with meta-commentary on horror tropes. Yet, the film’s attempt at replicating the game’s intricate storytelling falls flat, offering a disjointed mix of scares tied to a ticking clock. The game pulls players into a complex narrative, where the film merely offers a mix of chaotic horror scenes.
Credit is due for including wendigos. The game explains them as miners-turned-monsters after a 1952 cave-in. In the film, Clover and friends start transforming due to Dr. Hill’s experiments. It’s not a direct copy, nor does it need to be, but the wendigos are overshadowed by a slasher villain, alongside witches, creepy masks, and other random threats. These elements have little connection to the game’s creature-centric focus, aside from a few nods here and there.
Peter Stormare reprises his role as Dr. Hill, Josh Washington’s imagined psychiatrist from the game. Yet, in the film, Dr. Hill starts as a gas station worker and is soon revealed to be orchestrating experiments on Glore Valley. The only direct nod to the game is when Clover finds Josh Washington’s patient profile in Hill’s office.
We get a glimpse of Hill’s experiments as prisoners turn into wendigos. Clover seemingly defeats Hill, but the ending leaves it ambiguous, suggesting Hill might be a figment of Clover’s imagination, paralleling Josh’s delusions from the game. This could imply Sandberg’s film serves as a sort of prequel, unrelated to the game’s core events. If there’s a sequel, it might explore Josh seeking revenge, following the film’s new logic.
Throwing in Easter eggs isn’t enough.
Transforming Dr. Hill into the antagonist dilutes the intrigue. Near the end, Blackwood makes an appearance, contradicting Sandberg’s claim that his movie comes after the game’s timeline. This conflicting narrative makes the movie feel disconnected from “Until Dawn,” raising the question of why it’s tied to the game at all, aside from intellectual property reasons. Up until Blackwood’s sudden reveal, the film bears little resemblance to its source material—why pivot back to the game so abruptly?
The idea is to appease fans. Scattered moments aim to evoke memories of the game—for example, when Ji-young Yoo’s character, Megan, mimics the game’s breath-holding Quicktime events during a séance. Scenes like Clover near a wendigo mirror the game’s tense moments. However, the movie rarely capitalizes on recreating the game’s cinematic quality or offer new horror thrills.
Other recognizable elements include the reuse of wendigo sounds from the game and a chopped-in-half death scene recalling Josh’s fake demise. The werewolf sketches and basement radio could nod to other game titles, but these references feel forced.
A spiritual successor should resonate with its original inspiration. While the “Until Dawn” movie isn’t bad, it misses capturing the thrilling urgency and suspense of Supermassive’s game. The disjointed events at Glore Valley draw from various horror clichés, and without Dr. Hill, it’s a superficial echo. The notion of the characters’ repeated choices isn’t enough to make this adaptation faithful. Ultimately, the “Until Dawn” film misses the mark in bringing Supermassive’s beloved game to the big screen.
