Until Dawn (2025) review – A splatter fest that ignores the game

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing the slasher, splatter, body horror movie Until Dawn (2025).

A Different Dawn

Full disclosure, I am a huge fan of the Until Dawn video game. I played it a bunch on the PS4 and then obtained the Platinum trophy on the PS5. As far as horror video games go, it is one of the better options. It has a great plot, a bunch of twists and turns that big budget movies would be jealous of, and a whole lot of enjoyable horror drama.

So with that in mind, when I heard they were making a movie version of the game, my ears pricked up a little. I was intrigued but the one thing that I thought would be a bit underwhelming is the fact that this is a story that has already been told. The surprises won’t feel exactly surprising and the twists and turns won’t have the same impact.

Well, I needn’t have worried. Director David F. Sandberg (of Annabelle Creation and Lights Out fame) had no intention of retelling the story from the game. Instead, he was opting for an entirely new plot written by Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler.

The story here follows Clover (Ella Rubin) and her friends as they head into a remote valley to investigate the disappearance of her sister a year before. Finding themselves lost, the group haul up in an old cabin that seems inviting, albeit a bit spooky. Things really start to get strange, however, when they find themselves stalked by a masked killer and trapped in a night of perpetual hell on earth.

Press start to die again

My initial thought when learning that the entire story would be completely rewritten was “what is the point?”. Well, at the very least, what is the point of using the Until Dawn moniker? If the characters from the game aren’t present and the story is different, how is it Until Dawn?

That’s the interesting part, it really isn’t. It’s just a name with a couple of nods to the series that inspired it. We have a brief appearance by Peter Stormare reprising his role as Dr. Hill and a few random nods, but that’s it.

“It’s just a name with a couple of nods to the series that inspired it… The best way to think of this movie is a standalone flick that is part splatter horror and part slasher.”

The best way to think of this movie is a standalone flick that is part splatter horror and part slasher with even a little bit of body horror stuff thrown in. The only way in which it resembles a video game is in the time loop structure that the movie so gleefully boasts about. Think Happy Death Day but with less fleshing out and a quicker turnover.

Characters die in brutal ways by a masked killer only to revive the next day. They realise they are in a fight against the clock to find the identity of the killer and break the cycle. It’s formulaic stuff as far as this concept goes but it is still quite entertaining. The time loop formula always allows for a lot of creativity when it comes to kills. Whether the filmmakers jump on that possibility or not is up to them but Sandberg definitely makes the most of it here.

The payoff is a blast

Kills are frequently satisfying, often gruesome, and entirely over the top in the best way possible. Hell, I would even go as far as to say they are explosive in the most literal way possible. When it comes to splatter horror, this is what you want. A fairly simple setup that gets the preamble out of the way quickly and gets to the blood-letting. It’s genuinely a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the movie once it found its legs.

“Kills are frequently satisfying, often gruesome, and entirely over the top in the best way possible. Hell, I would even go as far as to say they are explosive in the most literal way possible.”

It’s a good job it finds its feet quickly, too, because the lead up is not very promising. It’s all generic teen horror stuff with a bit of an obnoxious cast and very little to invest in. It’s almost reminiscent of 2000s horror like House of Wax and the Friday the 13th remake. I found it hard to shake the feeling that the build up was completely unnecessary. Just push the juvenile drama crap aside and let’s get to the gory stuff.

In fact, I was kind of checked out by the time the fun stuff started and not exactly brimming with confidence. Once it hit its stride, however, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was enjoying it. Oh, and how much I was laughing too. This can be quite an amusing film at times. When Until Dawn is trying to tell a story, it is a pretty lacklustre movie with little to recommend. When it is getting creative with the kills and trying to find devious new ways to disassemble the human body into as many different parts as possible, it is a laugh riot.

It’s more about the gore than actual solid storytelling

That doesn’t mean that this is going to appeal to all horror fans, though. It’s pure splatter horror and entirely dependent on its creative kills to provide entertainment. The story is bland and, dare I say it, detrimental to the enjoyment of the film.

Sure, there’s a time loop but the reasons for that aren’t all that interesting. The plot frequently treads into the realm of the absurd, as well. It can feel like it is trying too hard to explain away the silliness.

“I found it hard to shake the feeling that the build up was completely unnecessary. Just push the juvenile drama crap aside and let’s get to the gory stuff.”

Acting ranges from okay to pretty bad. It’s typical teen horror stuff with actors who look a bit too old to be playing the parts they are playing. Yet they still lack a certain polish when it comes to line delivery and emotional range.

Ella Rubin, as Clover, and Michael Cimino, as Max are probably the strongest performers. I really enjoyed Ji-young Yoo as Megan, as well. Cinematography is a bit dull and not really all that spectacular. There are certain scenes that can feel quite claustrophobic due to tight locations and tighter shots. The film is very dark, too.

I wouldn’t say that the movie takes a long time to get going but the pacing is a little off. The tonal shift when the chaos starts can give you a bit of a whiplash effect. I really enjoyed some of the practical effects work, though. Certain scenes are fantastic and there are meaty bits of gore absolutely everywhere. There are a good few moments that will make you wince, as well, which is always important in films like this.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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