Until Dawn Review: A Reimagined Plot and Delightful Callbacks

Contents:

• What is the film "Until Dawn" about?
• Familiar references
• How the film tries to scare the viewer
• Controversial points

What is the movie "Until Dawn" about?

A year after the disappearance of her sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell), Clover (Ella Rubin) decides to find her at any cost. She joins forces with four friends - Max (Michael Cimino), Nina (Odessa Ezayon), Abel (Belmont Cameli), and Megan (Yoo Ji-yeon). Their search leads to an abandoned gas station, where the mysterious owner (Peter Stormare) tells Clover about a strange place known for the disappearance of many people. This discovery reveals dark secrets before them that could change their lives forever.

In keeping with slasher tradition, the teenagers often display recklessness. They immediately follow the indicated route and find themselves in an anomalous zone surrounded by an incessant downpour. Within this zone is an abandoned building—the reception center of a local tourist complex. Naturally, the young people decide to go inside and soon realize they are not alone in this desolate place. Their fears intensify and unpredictable events begin to unfold, putting their lives at risk. This plot fits perfectly into the slasher genre, where the recklessness of teenagers leads to terrible consequences.

A seemingly invulnerable maniac with a mining pick suddenly appears in the house and begins brutally killing the heroes one by one. However, when all five are killed, they find themselves in a time loop, returning to the moment when they first explored the rooms of the center and its surroundings. Now the group must break this vicious cycle by surviving until dawn or facing death again. The problem is that cycles have their limitations. With each resurrection, the heroes' bodies undergo inexplicable changes, adding tension and mystery to their struggle for survival. This story of a maniac and a time loop immerses the viewer in a world of fear and the unknown, where every choice can be decisive for survival.

Familiar References

Those familiar with Until Dawn will immediately understand that the film Until Dawn does not follow the plot of the game. However, you don't need to know the source material or play it to understand the film's concept. At the same time, the film contains many clever references to the game, enriching the plot with a new interpretation.

Despite the limited number of key characters, they are closely related to the characters from the game. For example, Clover can be compared to Sam, and Max to Mike. As in Until Dawn, the characters often joke with each other, while avoiding excessive vulgarity. Some of them show a tendency toward betrayal and choose to flee. However, this strategy proves ineffective due to the isolation of the area and the presence of a maniac wandering nearby.

The film stands out from other slashers in that its characters undergo a significant evolution. Unlike typical protagonists of this genre, they begin to make more deliberate decisions. With each new "reboot," their actions become more coordinated and strategic. Even characters who initially display selfishness eventually begin to work as a team. As a result of this development, archetypes that initially seem standard are revealed in unexpected ways. This positively affects the overall perception of the slasher, reducing the irony that usually accompanies scenes with the murders of hapless heroes. This approach contributes to a deeper and more engaging plot, which engages the audience and makes them question the characters' motivations.

The image of a mysterious masked killer, inherited from the game, became not just a source of fear, but also a cold-blooded executioner of his victims. He uses the most sophisticated methods, such as plunging a pickaxe into someone's head, bludgeoning them to death, or slicing them in half. These actions have become habitual for him, and the characters often encounter danger due to their carelessness. All scenes of violence appear extremely realistic, which may cause disgust in particularly sensitive viewers. These shots are also reminiscent of the brutal cutscenes of character deaths in the game, increasing the overall tension and atmosphere of fear.

The "butterfly effect" is an important mechanic in Until Dawn, which is manifested in the film through the concept of a time loop. Each time the characters are "resurrected," they are left with visible traces of previous deaths, such as scars and bruises. This serves as a reminder of the decisions they made. The time loop here acts as a test: if the player fails, the game must be restarted, and the character is returned to the starting point. In the film adaptation, the tourist center turns into a kind of game lobby, creating a parallel with the principles of many video games that have been successfully adapted for film. This approach emphasizes the interplay between gameplay and narrative, creating a unique experience for viewers.

Although the film's events take place during the warmer months, elements of the game remain relevant, including the mystical aspects. Ominous mine tunnels still lurk beneath the anomalous zone. Dangerous creatures like the Wendigo continue to hunt survivors, although their origins are presented in a different interpretation.

The film reveals a therapist with a dossier on one of the key characters in Until Dawn. The final scene not only serves as an important reference but also hints at a potential sequel if the film is successful. This is just one of many well-integrated details from Until Dawn that fans are sure to appreciate.

How the film tries to scare the viewer

The film stands out not only for its high-quality special effects, but also for its masterful direction, which creates a tense atmosphere. Periodic jump scares effectively relieve this tension, adding dynamism to the scenes. The visual and sound design is sometimes designed to make the viewer feel uncomfortable. At particularly critical moments, an ominous silence falls, sharply contrasting with loud sounds, which enhances the effect of immersion in the plot.

The recreated scene from the game, in which the main character hides from a wendigo, is a prime example of tense gameplay. Players used a clever trick: placing the gamepad on a flat surface to avoid involuntary movements during the creature's piercing scream, which could have resulted in the character's death. If not for the vigorous crunching of popcorn in the theater, such scenes might have evoked even more powerful emotions in viewers. This atmosphere of tension and fear makes the gaming experience unforgettable and emphasizes the importance of sound design in video games.

One of the most striking sequences is when the characters view video footage on a smartphone. When the footage is shown full-screen, the frame rate changes are clearly visible. This creates an atmosphere of the uncanny valley, and the appearance of a supernatural element in the frame is accompanied by characteristic digital glitches, increasing the tension and anxiety of the scene.

These fragments, written in the first person, create a feeling of discomfort and uneasiness that attracts many horror fans. I was reminded of the newsreel footage from the 2005 film "The Grudge," known abroad as Noroi: The Curse. However, in Until Dawn, the quality of filming is significantly higher, which is due to modern technologies and approaches to content creation.

Controversial points

The film has its shortcomings that are worth noting. For example, out of thirteen cycles of the time loop, only a few are shown on screen. The transition to the final stage is carried out by watching a video on a smartphone, which creates a feeling of some crumpling and insufficiently developed plot. This approach can leave the viewer with questions requiring a deeper explanation and development.

The story of the wendigo's appearance in the area is not very convincingly presented. In the game, people turned into these creatures under the influence of evil spirits, while in the new interpretation, the mutations are largely connected with the time loop. In the game Until Dawn, wendigos were once people, and their numbers were limited. In Until Dawn, their number increases significantly, and closer to the end they resemble hordes of zombies from horror films. However, it's worth noting that some of the Wendigos still exhibit a trace of humanity in their behavior, adding depth and layering to their characters.

There are some inconsistencies and questionable decisions to be found in the middle and near the end of the film. We'll leave them under a spoiler for you to explore after watching.

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The origin of the supernatural creatures in the area remains a mystery, as if they were just decoration. Where did the giant wendigo appear in the storm zone? Who is the mysterious old woman who zombified Clover with an unknown substance? An unnaturally tall man in a mask can be seen in a smartphone video. All these entities appear unexpectedly and disappear just as suddenly, leaving more and more questions about the structure of the local universe. The film's director, David F. Sandberg, known for his works "Annabelle: Creation" and "Lights Out...", mentioned that some phenomena in the film reflect his own creative ideas. However, the viewer, immersed in the atmosphere, will not find a logical explanation for what is happening.

The main villain turns out to be Dr. Hill, who masterfully disguised himself as the owner of a gas station. Interestingly, this role is again played by Peter Stormare, as in the game "Until Dawn". However, in the film, the character lost his former depth and duality, becoming a conventional, albeit inventive, villain. As a result, a not very fortunate fate awaited him, dictated by his own carelessness.

Expecting a slasher film to have a profound meaning would be unrealistic, as the genre is primarily focused on entertainment. Slashers often raise numerous questions about the events on screen, but viewers rarely seek answers. Such films are primarily designed to create an atmosphere of tension and horror, which is their primary goal.

"Until Dawn" stands out from other films based on video games because its creators didn't simply copy the original script. Instead, they offered a new vision, reworking the overall concept. For players, the film will be an interesting reimagining, filled with numerous iconic references. And viewers unfamiliar with the gaming context will be able to appreciate a self-contained horror that offers a tense plot and an atmosphere of fear.

The film adaptation certainly has its flaws, but it's difficult to call it completely bad or passable, especially in the context of a video game adaptation. Until Dawn adheres to the genre's canons, while expanding them slightly, adding elements of mysticism and surrealism. This approach may interest viewers unfamiliar with Until Dawn and encourage them to learn more about the original and even try it out.