Until Dawn: A Repetitive Video Game Adaptation That Lacks Substance (4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

The use of repetition in films is hardly a new notion. Getting stuck in time loops and repeating potions of the story has been utilized quite a lot, and to varying success, in projects like "Groundhog Day," "Edge of Tomorrow," "Palm Springs," and even in the horror genre with "Happy Death Day." Now director David F. Sandberg looks to put it to use for an adaptation of the popular 2015 survival horror game "Until Dawn," in which the characters desperately have to survive until then to break free from their predicament. Will it turn out to be one of the better uses of this intriguing storytelling device, or will it merely turn out to be another disappointing video game adaptation that couldn't quite get there?

The film centers on a group of friends: Clover (Ella Rubin), her ex Max (Michael Cimino), Megan (Ji-young Yoo), Nina (Odessa A'zion), and Abe (Belmont Cameli), who are all retracing the steps of Clover's missing sister, Melanie (Maia Mitchell). After getting a tip that people have been going missing near the mining town of Glore Valley, the group drives there, but gets caught in a storm and is forced to hold up at a visitor's center, where they discover a wall of missing person posters, which includes Melanie, as well as a guest book that's been signed by her several times.

They suddenly find themselves under attack from a masked assailant, who kills all of them, but this is quickly followed by them being reset to where they were in the visitor's center earlier, with their own missing person posters now on the board. They soon discover that they are stuck in a kind of loop in which the goal is to survive the night, and that failure merely resets them on the next night. However, they also discover that there is a certain time limit, and that failure to escape before then will result in a terrifying transformation, forcing them to face multiple deadly terrors in order to have a chance of lasting until dawn.

As mentioned, time loops and repetition are concepts that have been used quite a bit in cinema over the years, with some being far more successful than others. "Groundhog Day" and "Edge of Tomorrow" are two prime examples of using this fascinating device to great effect, complementing the narratives along the way to tell a full, rich tale that has the audience engaged with the story & characters. Then there are those films in which the repetition ends up being more of a detriment simply because the narrative isn't very strong in the first place, suffering from a lack of substance that merely ends up making the film feel as though it's gotten stuck in a rut.

Sadly, "Until Dawn" ends up being a prime example of the latter, quickly becoming an overly-repetitive series of gruesome deaths of these five characters as they try to find their way out of this trap. It tries to inject a modicum of backstory into the proceedings, but it's not nearly enough to build an engaging, thoughtful story from, one in which the audience would actually care about anything happening on the screen. The aforementioned lack of substance, combined with its repetitive nature, merely makes it a bit of a slog to get through, and unfortunately made it seem as though the filmmakers didn't care enough to give the viewer anything to connect with.

On the surface, it's an interesting premise to have a group of characters trying to survive under these extreme circumstances, but a basic premise like that isn't going to be enough to sustain an entire film without a more sustainable foundation to lift it up and actually make it worth watching. As it is, "Until Dawn" is just another forgettable video game adaptation that didn't have nearly enough effort put into it, ultimately putting it on the ever-growing heap of adaptations that have suffered the same fate.

Video/Audio:

This edition of "Until Dawn" comes with the film on both 4K (2160p, UHD) and Blu-ray (1080p, HD) in 1.85:1 transfers of excellent quality. This is yet another very dark horror outing, taking place mostly at night, but the picture remains perfectly sharp & clear throughout the entire 100-minute duration. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Sony has done a great job in both areas for the film's physical release.

Special Features:

Commentary with Director David F. Sandberg and Producer Lotta Losten

Adapting a Nightmare (2 Minutes): A very brief featurette that talks about bringing the game to life.

Practical Terrors (2 Minutes): Another brief featurette that focuses on the sets and effects.

Death-Defying Cast (3 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on the ensemble.

Deleted & Extended Scenes (8 Sequences, 37 Minutes)

Conclusion:

David F. Sandberg's "Until Dawn" has the start of an interesting premise that has five characters trying to survive a hellish situation, but a distinct lack of substance, coupled with the film's repetitive nature, merely turns the film into a bit of a slog that feels as though the filmmakers didn't care enough to give the audience anything worth engaging with, ultimately turning it into yet another disappointing & forgettable video game adaptation among many others.

Score: 2/5

Available on 4K/Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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