The film centres on a group of six friends who set off to retrace the steps of one of the girls missing sister. Their journey leads them to a chilling, abandoned visitor centre in the 19th century abandoned village, Covington. In no time, they quickly become trapped in a nightmarish time loop. Each night, each members of the group is brutally murdered by different things including a serial killer, a witch, or some other horrifying force. When dawn breaks, time resets. The group remembers everything, and the cycle of terror begins anew. But the catch? They only get thirteen nights. If they don’t survive 'Until Dawn' by then, they’ll transform into wendigos - an eerie nod to the game’s central supernatural threat.
While the movie is not based on the story or characters of the original game, it peppers in enough references to please long time fans. The wendigos are back, though used differently here as an end-stage threat rather than a lurking predator. There’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Josh, a fan-favourite from the game, and, most notably, Peter Stormare reprises his role as the unsettling psychiatrist, Dr. Hill. His scenes are cryptic, fourth-wall-breaking and very intriguing. It turns out that he is the one behind the curse the group are stuck in and is preventing anyone that enters Covington to survive Until Dawn.
Until Dawn is not the adaptation fans might have expected, but it’s a solid horror film in its own right.
In terms of atmosphere, Until Dawn excels. The production leans heavily into moody, foggy, flickering lights, and claustrophobic interiors. The abandoned visitor centre is a perfect setting as it's remote, eerie, and full of secrets. The sound design adds to the tension, with some well-executed jump scares that are guaranteed to catch audiences off guard.
The film’s core concept, a horror time loop with escalating consequences, is clever, though it doesn’t always fully capitalise on its potential. As the group begins to unravel the rules of their curse, the pacing occasionally stumbles under the weight of exposition. However, the ticking clock toward wendigo transformation adds a fresh sense of urgency and helps to elevate it from the otherwise familiar “teens-in-the-woods” setup.
Performances across the board are solid, with the cast delivering enough emotional weight to make you care, even if the character development doesn’t go especially deep. The film’s structure sometimes feels repetitive due to the nature of the time loop, but strong editing helps maintain momentum.
In the end, Until Dawn is not the adaptation fans might have expected, but it’s a solid horror film in its own right. With eerie visuals, satisfying scares, and just enough fan service to nod at its roots, it manages to carve out its own place in the growing library of video game-adjacent horror. Whether you're a diehard fan or a newcomer, surviving this nightmarish loop Until Dawn is a thrilling ride.