Until Dawn

Until Dawn
Starring Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, J-young Yoo
Directed by David F. Sandberg

Back in 2015, a horror game called "Until Dawn" came on Playstation, and I had to wait an excruciatingly long time before I was able to play it because I didn't own the PlayStation. After purchasing the system the first game I bought was "Until Dawn," and I played the heck out of it. I loved the concept - a horror movie where I made the decisions that either led to the deaths or survival of the characters - led by stellar performances by Hayden Panettiere, future Oscar-winner Rami Malek, Peter Stormare and others. It was an exciting (and sometimes frustrating, such as one play-through where everyone survived until the last moments and I accidentally got one killed because I didn't do a quicktime fast enough...not that that moment has dwelled in my mind or anything) game, so when word a movie was being made, I was apprehensive. We already have a movie that is the game itself, and not being able to control the characters (not to mention having a list of no-named actors in the roles), I expected something akin to the movie version of "Doom." While not as bad as I was expecting, there still wasn't anything exceptional about it, but I found myself very entertained from start to finish due to the chaotic nature of the story and smartly stepping away from the game's story (which led me to wonder why they called it "Until Dawn" in the first place, but I digress).

Clover (Ella Rubin) enlists her friends - her ex Max (Michael Cimino), her best friend Nina (Odessa A'zion), her new boyfriend Abe (Belmont Cameli) and her psychic friend Megan (Ji-young Yoo) to embark on a mystery. Her sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell) has gone missing, and she hopes to find out what happened to her. They end up in the small town of Glore Valley where they find shelter from a rainstorm in an abandoned welcome center that hasn't seemed inhabited for years. That night, a masked man kills them all, but then they all awaken in the same night. They soon discover that they're caught in a loop, where they're murdered every night and brought back to life, and find that others - including Melanie - have gone through the same events, but none have made it past thirteen nights. Learning they have to survive until dawn, the group struggles every night to find a way to survive - and uncover the mystery - before their lives run out.

As I said earlier, I was apprehensive with "Until Dawn" because it seemed to throw away anything that made the game exciting, turning it into UDINO - "Until Dead" In Name Only. Then director David F. Sandberg said he didn't want to make a shot-for-shot remake of the game because "The game is pretty much a 10-hour movie, so I think it wouldn't have been as interesting for me if we were doing just the game, because then it's going to be like a cut-down, non-interactive version of the game, which just wouldn't be the same thing." I respected his decision and understood that "Until Dawn" is just another story in the "Until Dawn" universe, so I became a bit less cynical going into it.

Still, the story is incredibly flat and lifeless, and the performances are equally as such. A group of friends go in search of the main character's missing sister, and each one maintains their trope - Clover is the leader, struggling with losing her sister, and bears the burden that she brought her friends into this situation. Max is still obsessed over Clover to annoying lengths, where he pretty much causes numerous deaths due to him being led by the wrong head. Nina is the dutiful best friend who stands by Clover no matter what. Megan is psychic but it's only helpful a few times (including one very well-done scene where she comes into contact with the wall of missing people, giving one of the best scenes in the film). Abe is the most level-headed yet also most desiring to survive despite anyone else, but also has the best ideas overall if you're looking at it through a subjective lens. For a film like this there doesn't need to be thought-provoking stories, but these characters were so flat I only knew them by their physical or characteristic attributes and only knew their names by looking them up afterward (aka "the main girl," "the ex," "the lover," "the best friend," "the psychic").

Sandberg went to great lengths to provide practical effects, which I appreciate no matter what movie it is. It's easy to CGI some body gore, but it feels completely fake - here, you feel what happens to them every night (in another highlight, the film bends into comedy with some "boom boom" moments - you'll know it when you see it), and it's done with impressive practical effects. The setting is decent as well, but shot a bit too dark for my liking (I'm the kind of player who turns the brightness up to the fullest when playing games - not because I'm scared, but I like to actually see what's happening). Again, a mixed bag, but going into this movie not expecting much, I found myself having a very good time.

While I'd rather be playing the game, "Until Dawn" does an admirable job in telling its own story in the same vein of the game, giving a fun, non-stop horror thrill ride with little to no boring downtime.

The Score: B+