I Finally Watched The Until Dawn Movie, And It Could Have Been So Good If It Had Made One Big Change

As someone who has spent a good portion of her life watching the best horror movies, I've discussed many game franchises that could make decent video game-to-movie adaptations. God knows there are so many being released these days that it’s almost impossible to keep up.

One of my favorite games, for many years, was Until Dawn. It was one of the horror games that I played back in high school that defined me as a gamer, along with The Last of Us. I always thought that the game could become a major adaptation if it happened, and then a film version was released as part of the 2025 movie schedule. And I…I have a lot of thoughts on it, mainly about its title and how this…isn’t Until Dawn. Let’s talk about it.

I've Been The Biggest Supporter Of Until Dawn For Many Years

The new film and game feel very different, so I’m going to give you a simple explanation of the story. The original game follows several young adults as they travel to a cabin in the woods that, of course, gets snowed in. At this cabin, two twin sisters went missing, who were friends of the group.

As the night goes on, they are hunted down by a masked killer and various other creatures, and the choices of the player determines how the story goes In reality, it’s really just one significant butterfly effect. It’s the kind of game that I sink my teeth into, because you really can play it over and over again and get a different ending each time.

The game has so many different endings, so of course, the idea of adapting that was daunting. I’ve always been the kind of person who has stood up for games like this, where there’s always one ending that rules above them all, and that’s usually the ending that people end up leaning towards. I thought the movie would be more like that.

The New Film IS Fun — But It's Just Not Until Dawn

I do think Until Dawn is a fun movie. There are a lot of things about it that work, but this is not the same story as the game.

The thing with video game adaptations is that sometimes, if you break away from the mechanics and the storyline of the original, it can work out, and then other times, it ends terribly.

The idea of an adaptation working out well for a video game instantly reminds me of Bill and Frank in The Last of Us. We were given next to no story about them in the game, and having their love story painted out in such a beautiful way in the show really enhanced the overall story.

As for a new concept not working out well, there are tons of examples I could point to. Many of the Resident Evil movies are like that, where the overall story of the game feels entirely left behind. Some older Mortal Kombat adaptations aren’t super great. Either way, when things are changed, they often don’t work out for the better.

The issue with Until Dawn is that the concept they put in the movie works, but it’s not what we saw in the game. It shouldn’t have the Until Dawn title attached to it.

The Overall Concept Works, Which Is A Shame, Because The Game Isn't What It Connects To

There are similarities between the movie and the game. That is something I won’t deny. There is a group of teenagers who go out to a cabin where they have to survive as things hunt them.

Some moments are connected to the game, such as a mask the killer wears that is reminiscent of the killer in the games. There are…versions of Wendigo, even if they don’t look at all like the ones in the game. There are even some references to specific towns and names, which I appreciated.

But this isn’t the same IP. This is something completely different. This leans more towards a horror version of Groundhog Day, where they are doomed to try and survive the night every single time, all five days, until they somehow make it out when dawn breaks. That’s not the game, in any sense.

This has a lot more paranormal/witchy vibes because of the stuff they go through, whereas Until Dawn actually felt surprisingly grounded aside from the Wendigos that started to appear at the end. The movie concept is fun – the idea of trying to survive a killer to break the chain once dawn comes around. That's not the game, though, and this should be separated.

The Gore Is Honestly Better Than The Games, Which Also Further Separates It

You know, maybe it’s because I haven’t played Until Dawn in a long time, but to me, the gore in this film is twenty times worse than the games. Like, I was reminded of some of the Saw films watching this.

With that being said, that means it’s honestly better in specific ways. I think that the game certainly had plenty of gory moments, but it often favored suspense and jumpscares over intense, super gory moments – aside from a hand getting cut off or someone getting sawed in half. Honestly, this film had people exploding from the inside out, so forgive me if I think the gore is just a little better.

Even so, that’s also something that further separates it from the IP of Until Dawn. It’s not the same kind of gore because it’s not the same kind of story, and that in and of itself leads to its demise.

I Think If This Weren't Connected To Until Dawn, It Could Have Been A Big Hit

This is the tricky thing – I really think this movie could have been good. I don’t think it would have ended up becoming one of my favorites, or surpassing my all-time favorite horror movies – both Ari Aster horror films – but I think it could have been fun. I believe it might have been successful, but only if Until Dawn was not attached to it.

The moment that name was stamped onto the screenplay of this film, it was doomed from the start. The fanbase for this is mighty – it’s why there was a whole PlayStation 5 remake for the game years after it was released. If you want to make a movie with that title, you have to at least cater to the games in general, and this didn’t do it.

If this movie had any other title aside from Until Dawn, it could have been great. It might have become a massive hit on a popular streaming service. However, I fear it’s going to just be forgotten amongst the slew of other, incredible horror movies that have come out. And, that’s a shame.

Either way, there are plenty of other upcoming horror films to look forward to. I, for one, can’t wait to check them all out, even if Until Dawn left me wanting more.