Until Dawn - Fino all'alba

These reviews have me wondering how good the game is. As it seems, any reviewer who loved the game didn't enjoy this movie. Well I enjoyed it. But I haven't played the game, yet!

I'm not saying this is the scariest and best horror movie I've ever seen. The concept was really fun. The acting was pretty good. The reason the friends were there, a little silly but added an interesting dynamic.

I came into this movie with an open mind, and enjoyed it. I could watch it again, but I don't have to.

The kills are fun, the spook factors are a little hit and miss, and perhaps I would liked to have seen more different monsters come to life. But that's life and I can't say i disagree with the director on any decisions that were made. Sometimes you can't have it all.

The atmosphere of the movie is sort of typical isolation/cabin fever style with a ground hog day twist. In some ways it reminded of a good rogue like video game, every night is something sort of different.

I actually gave this movie a 6.5/10. I enjoyed it, I liked the story and acting. I also enjoyed not knowing what the threat was going to be next. It's a fun movie, and that's the point.

Going into this film, I had the unique advantage of being completely unfamiliar with the game it was based on. I hadn't seen trailers, read fan theories, or followed any of the development buzz. My expectations weren't colored by nostalgia or comparisons to the source material. All I had was an open mind - and I came away thoroughly impressed.

Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room. If you've read online reviews or listened to fans of the original game, you've probably heard a lot of criticism. Many longtime players felt the film didn't live up to the standard they expected or deviated too much from the game's lore, mechanics, or tone. While I respect that perspective, I think it's crucial to acknowledge a simple truth: not every adaptation is made solely for the original fanbase. Sometimes, they're designed to welcome newcomers, and this film does that exceptionally well.

From the very beginning, the film pulled me into its world. The atmosphere was rich, immersive, and clearly crafted with care. Visually, it's stunning - full of detail and texture that hint at a deep lore without overwhelming you with exposition. The direction balances action, suspense, and character development in a way that's accessible for viewers like me who don't know the backstory. It's entertaining, engaging, and - most importantly - it stands on its own.

One of the film's biggest strengths is its pacing. It doesn't rely too heavily on prior knowledge, nor does it try to cram in every bit of lore from the game. Instead, it focuses on telling a solid, coherent story with compelling characters and emotional weight. The performances are grounded and believable, especially from the lead, who brings just the right amount of vulnerability and grit. Whether or not you know who this character is "supposed" to be, you'll care about their journey.

The action sequences deserve a special mention. They're well-choreographed, intense, and refreshingly devoid of the kind of overdone CGI that often plagues video game adaptations. There's a tactile quality to the combat and set pieces that gives the film a sense of realism and stakes. You feel the tension, the danger, and the thrill - all without needing to press a button or dodge an enemy yourself.

What really surprised me, though, was how emotionally resonant the film turned out to be. There are moments of quiet introspection, subtle character dynamics, and even a few scenes that hit surprisingly hard. It's clear that the filmmakers wanted to do more than just appeal to fans of the game - they aimed to tell a human story that anyone could connect with. And they succeeded.

Of course, no adaptation is perfect. I'm sure if I were a devoted fan of the original game, I might have noticed choices or changes that felt off. But coming into this with fresh eyes, I didn't see anything that detracted from the experience. If anything, it made me curious about the game and its world - and isn't that part of what an adaptation should do?

In the end, I think it's important not to let negative fan reviews dictate your expectations. This film might not be exactly what longtime players wanted, but for those of us coming in blind, it's a fantastic ride. It stands strong on its own merits and offers an exciting, emotional, and visually rich experience.

So here's my advice: don't listen to the noise. If you're new to the concept like I was, give it a shot. You might just find yourself loving it - just like I did.

As someone who has played and loved Until Dawn I was so excited for this movie to release.

Unfortunately I was incredibly disappointed. If this was an original horror movie I would've liked it more than I did.

The film had some good scary moments, decent cast, setting, gore and character design. The kills were inventive and looked good. But this was NOT enough to save this movie.

This was not Until Dawn. This was a poor effort in putting some elements from the game into a messy incoherent movie. The plot was not intriguing and it had little to no mystery/lore that the game so perfectly created. In summary it was a combination of random "scary" things that added very little to the overall experience.

The movie had the makings of an interesting story. But by the finale, nothing was really explained and it ended underwhelmingly.

I would've preferred a carbon copy of the game. I appreciate the effort to try something but when the game had very little to fault I don't understand why so much was changed. At least keep the snowy setting.

Disappointed.

Until Dawn is the latest video game adaption over the hit horror choose your own adventure. Unlike most adaptions, this does its own thing for the most part adding only certain elements and characters from the game into the story. Which will either anger fans of the games or make you interested to see what they do different. I like it doing its own thing. So this Until Dawn follows 5 kids as they get trapped in a death loop while searching for a missing person. The kids are fine although I felt one character gets unrighteously villainized even though they made the most sense. I do like the aspects of togetherness in the kid group as it didn't make any of the kids annoying even though I didn't buy any of their chemistry as friends. The kills are done mostly well. There is a montage section that felt like it would have been better exploring than speeding through it. There is also the stereotypical dumb decisions made by character because they are in a horror movie. I also didn't like their explanation of adding certain creatures from the game and felt a little too fan service. All of that being said, I still had a decent time watching this.

"Until Dawn" is a decent film, entertaining in some scenes and dull in others. Its script, based on the 2015 video game of the same name, is interesting, but as I mentioned, it has its ups and downs. It combines, in a less than successful way, several horror subgenres such as slasher, gore, found footage, and even includes a witch, zombies, and a mad scientist. The cast performs well, with Ella Rubin and Michael Cimino standing out. The director's work could have been better, but he manages to maintain a decent level in his film. The cinematography achieves an oppressive atmosphere reminiscent at times of horror films from the mid-2000s and early 2010s. The special effects have a mixed result, ranging from positive in makeup effects to negative in digital effects. The editing is good without standing out in any novel way. "Until Dawn" is a decent film with no further pretensions.