UNTIL DAWN: Stuck in a Killer Time Loop

A group of friends find themselves trapped in a horrific loop with creatures that kill them off over and over again. Based on the video game of the same name, Until Dawn is an entertaining survivalist horror featuring inventive kills and intriguing world-building. But whether or not it will be enough for hardcore gamer fans is to be seen.

It’s been a year since Clover’s (Ella Rubin) sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell) went missing. With support from her closest friends, she retraces her sister’s steps, hoping to uncover the truth and gain closure. But after the group gets stuck in a storm, they come across an abandoned building and seek shelter. As night falls, they discover they are not alone, and each friend is brutally picked off.

Oddly, they all wake up to find themselves back at the start of the evening. Once again, hunted and killed, the evening restarting from the same point as before. They’ll desperately try to find a way out or be doomed to repeat their murders until nothing remains of them.

Until Dawn takes the basis from the source material but develops it into a psychopathic Groundhog Day. Leaning into the idea of unlimited lives in a video game to offer viewers assorted character deaths. For someone who has never played Until Dawn, I had fun with the concept. But I can understand how the creative liberties taken have frustrated fans since it has a rich story, perfect for a theatrical adaptation. While the film isn’t a 1:1 remake, it does allude to various things from the game.

The time loop factor means the kills are expedited. It sets things up quickly and wastes no time kicking off the chaos. It leans into the absurdity at times as we watch these characters die repeatedly. And this is where we get gory feasts with some amazing practical effects. I’ve always enjoyed director David F. Sandberg‘s passion for doing as much on camera as possible, and only using CGI as a tool for polishing. He often shares on his YouTube channel, including a more recent video explaining some of the effects of this film. But with those repetitive deaths, I appreciated that the film understood when it was time to switch things up so viewers didn’t feel stuck in a tedious loop themselves. It does a great job with pacing and scares to keep you uncertain about what’s coming next.

As I mentioned before Until Dawn does a nice job of building its world. We get an interesting backstory for the town that’s revealed seamlessly without doing an exposition dump. And the set design continues to tell that story with weathered environments crafted with layers. I do think at just over an hour and a half we don’t get to relish in it much, but it is an aspect I thoroughly enjoyed. And knowing Sanberg, I’m sure there were plenty of little Easter eggs to discover.

While I enjoyed the creativity and overall energy of the film, there were a few elements that needed more refinement and development.

After the group’s first death, we’re able to see that each has a remnant of what killed them prior (i.e. a bruise or scar). I thought that was going to be an accumulation of “injuries”, serving as an echo of their deaths. But they seem to dissipate and are inconsistent with what sticks versus what doesn’t. I would have loved a bit more intentionality with that.

Character-wise, I felt everyone gelled well and dynamics were established nicely. Clover is an empathetic and likable lead, and in any good horror film, we must like our could-be “final girl”. But while the characters are well set up, there are some missteps. They attempt to make Ji-young Yoo‘s character Meg a clairvoyant which felt haphazardly attempted, unnecessary, and inevitably forgotten about. There is also some dialog that feels rather corny. The classic “we’re family” hollow speeches that the film didn’t need. It also painfully stands out from the rest of Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler‘s script, since I think it’s rather sharp otherwise.

For a popcorn horror, Until Dawn is quite entertaining. Some aspects reminded me of Cabin in the Woods as it has that same fiendishly fun spirit. And it also crafts its frights with a nice mix of tension, humor, gore, and jump scares. I think it accomplishes what it set out to do. While it may not appease game enthusiasts, I understand the decision to try something different with the story. And with a rather interesting end note, perhaps we’re in for more repeat overnights with the franchise.

Until Dawn hits theaters April 25