Until Dawn Movie Review: When Horror Hits the Reset Button

This Until Dawn movie review dives into one of the wildest horror thrill rides of 2025. This isn’t just another game-to-screen cash grab. It’s a full-on horror remix. You get a slasher, a supernatural thriller, and a creepy time loop mystery all smashed into one. And surprisingly, it works. The question is: how many times can you die before it stops being scary?

Until Dawn is what happens when you let horror movie fans make the rules—and then break them all with a bloody grin. Directed by David F. Sandberg, this adaptation of the PlayStation classic throws jump scares, slashers, supernatural freakiness, and a whole lot of genre-bending into a cinematic blender. The result? A chaotic, clever thrill ride that’s as fun as it is freaky. But does it stick the landing, or just keep respawning the same scares? Let’s get into it.

The Good

This movie is scary fun—and it knows it. Until Dawn doesn’t just dip its toes in the horror genre pool—it cannonballs into it, splashing blood, monsters, and a little self-awareness on everyone nearby. This film is like a horror movie mixtape. Slasher? Got it. Supernatural thriller? Check. Wendigo-in-the-rain monster madness? Oh yeah, we’re doing that too.

From the jump, it wastes no time. I’m talking bodies hitting the floor before you can even remember who’s who. We’re 20 minutes in, and two folks already met their maker. That’s what I call economy of terror.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Until Dawn hits reset and shows you something wilder. The time loop mechanic is straight-up clever. Characters die—gruesomely—and then boom, we’re right back at the top of the night like it’s Groundhog Day but with more decapitations. Every loop brings a new horror flavor, which keeps things fresh and unpredictable. It’s like the writers played Resident Evil, Final Destination, and Silent Hill at the same time and just went, “Yes.”

Clover (Ella Rubin) is the standout here. Not because she makes smart choices—oh no—but because she keeps dying like a champ and charging back in like death is a casual inconvenience. And let’s not sleep on Ji-young Yoo’s Megan. Her supernatural possession scenes are straight-up chilling, and she somehow makes being the group’s mystic weirdo feel grounded.

The cast does what’s asked—and what’s asked is a lot. Crawl through dirt. Scream like your rent’s due. Get murdered creatively, multiple times. Props to the makeup and effects team, who made sure each resurrection came with a little more monster flair. These kids don’t just come back—they come back worse. Veins popping, hair falling out, eyes sunken. It’s gross. It’s great.

Atmosphere-wise? Chef’s kiss. The visuals and production design are on point. Everything feels claustrophobic, eerie, and just a little off—like a haunted version of a Dave & Buster’s. The sound design is nerve-wracking, the camera work is disorienting in the best way, and every cut to that creepy hourglass makes you clench your popcorn like a stress ball.

And shout out to Peter Stormare, who slides through this movie like your shady uncle who knows way too much about the family curse. He’s not just chewing scenery—he’s licking the plate clean.

The Bad

Let’s be honest: the plot is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while drunk and blindfolded. You’ll get moments where you think it makes sense, then the movie throws a monster nurse or time-traveling pickaxe man at you and laughs in your face.

Characters? Most are written like NPCs in a horror sim. Outside of Clover, names vanish from memory faster than these kids die. Dialogue feels like it was assembled from a starter pack of “Horror Movie Teen Banter.” Half the time you’re like, “Why did you do that?” and the movie’s like, “Because…reasons.”

Also, can we talk pacing? This movie moves like it’s trying to win a speedrun competition. There’s barely time to breathe between deaths. It’s thrilling, yes, but it also means the emotional beats—like Clover’s search for her sister Melanie—don’t really land. Melanie’s disappearance is the heart of the story, but that heart is racing so fast you never get to feel it beat.

And while the resurrection gimmick is fresh, it does slightly undercut the stakes. When everyone keeps coming back, even if they’re worse for wear, it’s hard to fully invest in their fear.

Oh—and somehow, they always have flashlights. Even in scenes where nobody found a flashlight. Somebody get these kids a headlamp sponsorship.

Final Thoughts on Until Dawn Movie Review

Until Dawn is a chaotic, bloody, horror buffet—and I went back for seconds. It’s fast, it’s dumb in the most entertaining way, and it blends genres like a horror smoothie. This is the movie you throw on when you want a good scream and a few laughs, not when you’re in the mood for nuance or logic.

Gamers who loved the PlayStation classic will feel like they walked right into their console. And if you’ve never touched a controller? You’ll still vibe with the madness—as long as you’re cool with plot holes you could drive a chainsaw through.

Directed by David F. Sandberg
Starring Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Odessa A’zion, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, and Peter Stormare
Genre: Horror | Runtime: 1h 45m