Welcome to the game of life and death.

Directed by David F. Sandberg, Until Dawn begins as Clover (Ella Rubin) and her friends venture into a remote valley on the one-year anniversary of her sister Melanie’s disappearance. Looking for answers, the group inadvertently stumble upon an abandoned visitor center and stalked by a masked killer. As the group dies one by one, they immediately discover that they are reborn at the beginning of the same evening. Unable to escape from the repetitive nightmare, they soon realize that they have a limited number of lives left, unless they can survive until dawn.

Although Until Dawn is based on the video game, it takes several steps away from its source material in order to translate to film. Even so, this isn’t the sort of film that requires knowledge of its source material. Although it remains immersed in the lore that should satisfy hardcore fans, Sandberg wisely uses its game setting as a launchpad to have its own fun. In doing so, Dawn becomes free uses its puzzle box as a gore buffet that works on its own, offering an endless supply of the messiest murders and mayhem possible. 

Admittedly though, despite the fun, Dawn does struggle at first to keep itself moving. By leaning into its Groundhog Day-esque premise, the film spins its wheels while it’s setting up the rules of the game. (No pun intended.) Of course, this delay of information is necessary to the style of film—and feels like a game with characters that are levelling up—but it can become repetitive as viewers wait to learn more.

Nevertheless, with every reveal, the film feels more coherent and, arguably, even sharply incisive. Without giving away any spoilers, Dawn draws a line between its horrifying violence and the effects of trauma. There’s a genuine sense that the physical manifestations of our suffering can attack the body, even if we don’t realize it. To say more would ruin the surprises but it’s worth noting that these psychological underpinnings do add some life to the blood splatters.

So, so many blood splatters.

And, frankly, those same buckets of blood are likely the reason that many fans will turn out to see the film. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. For many horror fans, the more creative the carnage, the better. And, as its characters ‘respawn’ endlessly, Dawn offers some increasingly brutal, bloody moments. (I won’t share the details… but wait for the cup of water.) These scenes of butchery benefit from some solid practical effects as well. Rather than rely on CGI, Dawn instead chooses to take a more tactile approach to its violence, helping moments feel more ‘real’.

It’s also worth noting that the film does also receive enthusiastic work from its cast. For a cast of relative unknowns on the big screen, the youthful stars bring the necessary charm and energy to make us care about them. Even so, the film’s best performance stems from veteran Peter Stormare who is deliciously malicious as the mysterious Dr. Alan Hill. Stalking around the shadows of the home, Stormare feels like the relentless ‘other’. Little is known about him and his torturous game yet the actor revels in slithering from scene to screen. Because of his strong work, Until Dawn has the sense of impending dread necessary to carry the film through to its ferocious finale.

As such, even though Until Dawn doesn’t reinvent the genre, it does make for an enjoyable night of creepy chaos in the theatre. Rather than find himself limited by the game itself, Sandberg builds his own sadistic sandbox to play in. And, for those looking for an evening of twisty terror, that blood-soaked playground may be exactly the abandoned center that they’re excited to visit.

Until Dawn is available in theatres on Friday, April 25th, 2025