Horror movies live and die by our connection to their characters. Why should we fear for people we don't care about? This fundamental challenge haunts Sony Pictures' latest video game adaptation "Until Dawn," a time-loop thriller that struggles to make us invest in its imperiled teens.
Based on the acclaimed 2015 PlayStation game, this adaptation follows friends trapped in a deadly cycle where mysterious entities hunt them down in increasingly gruesome ways. They must survive until dawn to break free. On paper, it sounds promising. In execution, it stumbles right from the start by dropping viewers into the story without proper character development or backstory.
The film's brightest moment comes with Peter Stormare's appearance as Dr. Hill, reimagined from his psychiatrist role in the game to a gas station attendant who may hold vital clues. Game fans will appreciate this nod to the source material, performed by the original actor. As the narrative progresses toward its conclusion, the tension finally builds to something meaningful, creating genuine suspense about whether our heroes will escape their temporal prison.
Director David Blue Garcia faced an impossible task – condensing a 10-hour, choice-driven game into a standard movie runtime. Rather than attempting a direct adaptation, he created something new that borrows elements from the original. Unfortunately, this approach loses much of what made the game special: the connection to characters whose fates rested in players' hands. The result earns a modest 3/5 stars – not terrible, but another disappointment for those hoping video game adaptations would finally find their footing.
Curious about the fate of these time-trapped teens? Listen to our full review now, and join us next week when we tackle Marvel's "Thunderbolts." Subscribe to The Couch Critic for weekly film breakdowns where every movie gets its close-up!
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