Summary

The Until Dawn horror film adaptation struggled in theaters, but is finding a new audience on streaming.
The film offered a unique idea, but failed to impress most critics and gamers upon release.
Until Dawn recently entered Netflix's Top 10 and is finding millions of new viewers.

Movies based on video games have been known to miss the mark with fans and movie-going audiences, but thanks to streaming services, they often find a new lease on life. Thanks to Netflix, audiences who skipped Until Dawn in theaters have the opportunity to give the movie a chance, and recently, streaming numbers have soared.

The horror movie was adapted from the Until Dawn video game, which saw players take control of numerous characters in a story filled with various twisted fates that could befall any of them. Translating that into a feature film proved problematic, and it underperformed in theaters and garnered lackluster reviews. Still, despite viewers missing it upon release, much like the characters at the center of the plot, Until Dawn lives again.

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By Timothy McClelland

Until Dawn Offered Gamers The Experience Of Playing A Horror Movie

Constant Tension And Various Outcomes Had Players Coming Back

The Until Dawn game was first released in 2015 and has since received a remastered release. It offered gamers a unique experience that felt like plunging the player into the heart of a horror film, forcing them to navigate the horror story in hopes of safety. The game featured a story that could change each playthrough, depending on the player's choices, often affecting who lives and dies. Players could save everyone or see each character meet their end, and the characters could suffer different fates on each playthrough, making it an ever-changing horror experience.

The setup for Until Dawn's story was simple, playing into the horror trope of a group of young adults gathering at a remote cabin following a prior tragedy. However, it was deceptively more complex than that. The plot featured creatures they could never have imagined, stemming from sinister sources. Given that Until Dawn was inspired by horror films, creating a direct adaptation back into a feature film seemed like it needed a unique lean. While the movie found a way to do it rather than a direct adaptation, it lost some magic in translation.

The Until Dawn Film Adaptation Failed To Impress Gamers and Horror Fans

The Game Subverted Tropes, While The Movie Embraced Them

Max helping Clover in a bear trap in Until Dawn (Movie)

Until Dawn, released in April 2025, chose not to be a direct adaptation of the game's story. Instead, it tells a new tale that tangentially connects. It was a noble endeavor, attempting to capture the feeling the game gave players rather than retell a story. As a movie, Until Dawn sets itself apart by placing its characters in a time loop. Each time they die, they come back to life, only to die another way, forcing them to try and figure out a way to make it stop. Where gamers could replay the game to achieve different outcomes, the movie's characters could live again to make another attempt at surviving. The movie features various references to the source material, like the masked killer and horrific creatures.

Despite the time loop being a clever way to capture the feeling inherent in Until Dawn's gameplay, it also removed a massive aspect of the game. The tension of making quick decisions for the characters was gone, as viewers of the movie knew they would be back in a few minutes rather than potentially hours of gameplay without them. Sure, the Until Dawn movie offers jump scares and bleak environments, but it loses all tension and falls into numerous horror tropes rather than subvert them beyond the film's gimmick. Gamers felt cheated by the film's lackluster contrivances, and critics weren't impressed, as demonstrated by the movie's 52% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, audiences rate it slightly higher, with 67%.

Until Dawn Is Getting A Second Chance With Netflix Streaming Audiences

An Estimated 3.3 Million Views

Melanie as a Wendigo in Until Dawn (Movie)

When it hit theaters in April, Until Dawn didn't scare up much at the box office, with only $53.6 million worldwide. Though that return isn't terrible against its reported $15 million budget, studio heads likely hoped the IP would help propel it to bigger numbers. However, thanks to Netflix, audiences are giving the unique time loop horror film a chance.

Until Dawn recently cracked Netflix's Top 10, bringing in millions of streaming views. While many weren't tempted to theaters to see the movie, potentially due to the middling reception, the adaptation still looks to have a draw with curious viewers ready to give it a chance. It is also likely gathering views from those unfamiliar with the game, giving it a shot in the hopes of a good horror film.

Given that it's now streaming, Until Dawn viewers may be kinder than others who dished out more at the theaters. Still, it could also find the audience it has been waiting for, potentially proving to have legs as an underrated hidden gem. Whatever its fate, Until Dawn is getting another lease on life with streaming audiences that may offer a brighter legacy.

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