Until Dawn (2025) spoiler free movie review
Every Night A Different Nightmare. Until Dawn is a 2025 American survival horror film derived from the 2015 video game of the same name directed by David F. Sandberg, and written by Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler. The film was released by Sony Pictures Releasing in the United States on April 25, 2025.
One year after her sister Melanie mysteriously disappeared, Clover and her friends head into the remote valley where she vanished in search of answers. They find themselves horrifically murdered, only to wake up and find themselves back at the beginning. Trapped in an endless time loop, they’re forced to relive the nightmare again – only each time, the killer is different, each more terrifying than the last, and the only way to escape is to survive until dawn.
Film synopsis
The cast includes Ella Rubin as Clover, Michael Cimino as Max, Odessa A’zion as Nina, Ji-young Yoo as Megan, Belmont Cameli as Abel, Maia Mitchell as Melanie, and Peter Stormare as Hill.
A year after her sister’s disappearance, Clover and her friends decide to go to the place where she was last seen. That night, everyone is murdered, but mysteriously waking up alive, and time resets. Trapped in a time loop, Clover and her friends must discover what’s happening there and survive until dawn.
Considering only the title, the disappearance of a sister, the accident, creatures, and the presence of a doctor named Dr. Hill, Until Dawn becomes a loose adaptation that ends up feeling more like a spin-off. Those who played the 2015 game developed by Supermassive Games will immediately notice the differences. And while the film has brief references to the game and both take place in the same universe, the story moves independently of the source material.
The problem is that the film borrows all the well-known horror film clichés, becoming generic. From a narrative perspective, it’s not easy to adapt the game’s mechanics, in which the player’s decisions change the story’s development and outcome, and changing it to a time loop wasn’t a bad decision. However, the original plot and setting are more interesting and original. The original story takes place in a lodge in the middle of a winter storm. The sister’s disappearance, the place full backstory, and its consequences for the group of friends are even more terrifying.
The cast’s acting is average, as is the script. The ending is so abrupt that it feels like a piece is missing to conclude a story that already has many holes in the plot. Many moments are rushed, and the lack of development can leave more questions than answers. Even with those flaws, the film achieves its goal of entertaining by not becoming boring, and the gore doesn’t disappoint. Teenage audiences are likely to enjoy more this film.
Until Dawn is now available in theaters.