Film Review | Horror

Until Dawn (2025) — horror adaptation unwisely ignores its video game inspiration

A group of friends trapped in a time loop, where mysterious foes chase and kill them in gruesome ways, must survive until dawn to escape it.

Video games have been a part of my life for longer than any other interest I’ve ever indulged in. It amazes me, even to this day, what can be done with coding, visual and audio direction, and a little bit of creativity. In this light, games are an art form, as they’re conceived, sketched, planned, built, and fine-tuned before their release to the public for all to gaze upon; however, what differentiates them from something like, let’s say, music, film, or painting is their level of interactivity and, in turn, how malleable they are.

Some games are designed strictly to test one’s reflexes, concentration, and memory, such as arcade classics like Ketsui, X-Men, or The Grid, yet these have little to no narrative to speak of. Then there are other games that focus on weaving a story wit deeper characterisations, creating an…