In 2015, an interactive horror video game became the year’s biggest sleeper hit. Until Dawn delivered a compelling story that was original enough to be mistaken for a cult horror movie straight out of the 80s. On the surface, the story appeared to be a generic slasher tale as a group of young adults were found isolated in a remote lodge on a mountain as a killer hunts them. However, there was something much more interesting and surprising lurking beneath. It served as a fine example of good storytelling that can exist outside the traditional formats of cinema, theatre and literature. It didn’t come as a shock when Sony announced they were adapting one of their greatest original games into the cinematic format. However, the film adaptation decides to drop the story that enticed gamers back in 2015 and instead takes inspiration from the game to deliver a work that might make Unil Dawn the most interesting film adaptation of a video game to hit the big screen.
Although presenting a different story, familiarity with the original is maintained as we follow another group of young adults who travel to a remote valley to search for a friend who went missing in the area a year ago. Introducing this new set of youngsters is delivered through shockingly bad writing, as the interactions feel cliche and the dialogue feels unnatural and forced. It’s almost as if the bad delivery is purposeful, with the expectation that we’ll find ourselves thrust into a reincarnation of the Scary Movie series as Until Dawn changes its tack to parody. Thankfully, the strange tone doesn’t lead to the route we expect, but what is certain is that something strange is brewing.
Our youngsters find themselves outside in the open air, looking metres ahead at an area where heavy rain falls from the sky, yet they don’t question why they don’t get wet or how such a perplexing scene can exist without shelter. It's clear that the world in which these characters exist is artificial, provoking further speculation about what kind of destination we’re being led into. The bewilderment you experience transforms into stimulation when Until Dawn reveals the reason for the strange occurrence of events thus far.
After being brutally murdered by a lone killer reminiscent of the one in the 2015 tale, our characters find themselves magically resurrected as they start the night all over again. They’re given another chance to try and survive the night, exactly as if they were playable characters in the game, except there is no one behind a controller using skill to ensure their fate. Using the mechanics of the game as the film's premise makes Until Dawn a truly unique film adaptation, as it tries something different compared to the ill-thought-out creativity we’re used to in video game movies.
The film makes the effort to differentiate itself from being a straight-up adaptation even further, as, rather than having the characters avoid missteps, each night they’re resurrected becomes all the more challenging as the environment gets progressively more dangerous. They’re not just dealing with a killer hunting them, but also paranormal forces, memory loss, and even water that makes your insides explode if you drink it. These challenges make Until Dawn a great deal of fun in most parts, enhanced by its sick sense of humour. However, the fun stops when we reach the final act, as we’re forced to conclude the journey by returning to the emotion the plot sets up at the start, the missing friend, the element that was of little to no interest to begin with. It’s at this stage where we’re reminded that no matter the fun they may provide, film adaptations of video games often fail to deliver a story worth our time.
Despite having intriguing stories to work with, such as the Resident Evil franchise, the film adaptations never succeeded in translating the rich source material to cinema. The creative team behind these adaptations seem to follow a pattern of taking a different direction that leads them down the path of decline. Until Dawn surprises us as that new direction leads to an upward trajectory, its unique creativity distracts us from its weaker story elements of character, narrative, and theme for most of the journey. However, to create a truly harmonious work, all of these elements must sync up to match the same level of competency of the plot. While Until Dawn displays some rare strength in the genre, it fails to convince us that video game movies have a hopeful future.
Out in UK cinemas now
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