MOVIE REVIEW: We decide if video game adaptation 'Until Dawn' is worth spending a night with
Let me preface this review by saying I have never played the Until Dawn video game - and know nothing about it.
As a result, I am the wrong person to say if this is an accurate adaptation, and can only judge it as a movie on its own merits.
Doing so, Until Dawn comes across as an amalgamation of Happy Death Day, Silent Hill and Cabin in the Woods - but can't match any of them for quality.
We follow a group of friends who end up trapped in a time loop, where mysterious forces chase and kill them in gruesome ways, and they must survive until dawn to escape it.
Although director David F. Sandberg has spent the past few years helming the Shazam flicks, he has a laudable background in horror ( Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out).
He does his best to make Until Dawn a worthwhile experience by utilising darkness-shrouded locations, a myriad of monstrous antagonists and several blood-soaked kills.
But he is hindered by the basic premise as it's hard to care when his characters perish given the fact they get many other lives to spurn before their ultimate demise.
While Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler's script includes some knowing nods and jokes, events are largely played straight, which does the film no favours as the young cast can't project the pathos their plight demands.
Ella Rubin's committed Clover is fairly endearing, and has the closest thing to character development with her search for missing sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell).
The rest of the lead quintet just fill generic roles, especially Michael Cimino as lovesick Max and Belmont Cameli as smart-mouthed douchebag Abe.
Peter Stormare ( Dr Hill) brings his trademark weird but doesn't feature enough to make an impression.
And after everything the protagonists endure the climax is firmly in 'is that it!?' territory.
Whether it's a faithful adaptation of its video game source material or not, Until Dawn is by-the-numbers horror you should think twice about spending the night with.
● Do you have any favourite films based on video games?
● Until Dawn is available to buy or rent on Sky Store.
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Article continues below
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
7 days ago
- Metro
It is madness that Konami still hasn't made a new Castlevania - Reader's Feature
A reader is baffled as to why Konami keeps rebooting increasingly obscure older games but still hasn't brought back the classic Castlevania series. There's a lot of rumours about a new Nintendo Direct at the moment, which is probably going to have quite a bit about Metroid Prime 4, since it's their big Christmas game this year. If the game is a hit then the whole series will be in a very good place since Metroid Dread was the biggest entry ever, despite being a pretty difficult 2D game. Dread is definitely one of the best Metroidvanias I've ever played but of course that name has two parts to it. Even though Metroid came up with most things first, the other half of the name is Castlevania, which hasn't had a new game in over a decade. Why is a mystery to me because the Netflix show was very popular a few years ago and I'm sure many people never even realised it was based on game. What really makes the situation weird is that Konami has brought back series like Metal Gear, Contra, and Survival Kids recently and is planning to make a dozen new Silent Hill games, and yet still there's no word on Castlevania. There's been some retro collections for Castlevania but the last new game was Lords Of Shadow 2 which was, admittedly, awful. It was also barely a Metroidvania, so it's very easy to imagine a bunch of ways to do a new game better, whether it's 3D or 2D. For a long time people have been saying that Konami should get FromSoftware to make one, because Bloodborne was basically halfway there already. I get this and agree but they're way to successful now to be working on someone else's game, so that's not really an option, I don't think. The problem for Konami, and I assume this is part of the problem, is that there are so few 3D Metroidvanias around that there's nobody that's really an expert that they can go to. Ironically, the ones with any real experience are MercurySteam, who made Metroid Dread and… Lords Of Shadow. So I can imagine there's some bad blood there. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. But surely someone out there can make it. Maybe the people that did indie game Revenge Of The Savage Planet, since that's a 3D Metroidvania. Or just do the other obvious thing and make a 2D game instead. There's a bazillion indie developers that could help out there and it'd be cheaper too, if Konami is worried it's spent all its money on Silent Hill. There are so many people that love Castlevania that even though there hasn't been a new game in so long there's a bunch of crossovers. Basically everything with vampires in it, from V Rising to Vampire Survivors. There's so much love for the franchise, from everyone but the company that can do something about it. So yeah, I don't really know what else can be done. Konami know the interest is out there, they're busy reboot lots of other franchises, but for some reason it's never Castlevania. A part of me hopes for an annoucement at the Nintendo Direct but I've been thinking that sort of thing for years now and it never happens. Plus, I've seen no rumours or leaks that says anything is on the way. More Trending I just don't get it. If you're rebooting something as obscure as Survival Kids, how does that come before Castlevania?! Oh well, if it's not in the Direct maybe they'll do something for the 40th anniversary next year. Although why do I get the feeling they won't? By reader Grackle The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: I had a Commodore Amiga as a kid and this is not the gaming future I imagined - Reader's Feature MORE: The biggest problem with the Nintendo Switch 2 is that it's too big – Reader's Feature MORE: Donkey Kong Bananza is Nintendo and gaming at its best - Reader's Feature
Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Resident Evil and Silent Hill inspired indie horror launches at the end of July
Heartworm is a 90s-inspired survival horror game from solo developer Vincent Adinolfi and you can try the demo on Steam now before it launches at the end of the month. Heartworm, a bite-sized survival horror game from solo developer Vincent Adinolfi, is offering a sneak peek with a demo on Steam before its official launch at the end of the month. Heartworm is a 'lo-fi horror' set to release in late July, in a nostalgic nod to the 90s and draws inspiration from cult classics like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Project Zero. It promises all the beloved elements of these games, including door loading screens, a spooky mansion, plenty of puzzles, and a heroine dressed in the quintessential 90s outfit of a t-shirt, cargo shorts, and combat boots. Players will step into the shoes of Sam, a young woman grappling with her grandfather's death and seeking closure online – a decision that leads her to a mysterious mansion in the mountains rumoured to be home to something supernatural. Despite the glaring warning signs, Sam ventures forth armed only with a camera to fend off the eerie, static-like enemies. Don't anticipate AAA visuals with this one. This is a genuine throwback, though you can adjust the settings for a more contemporary feel; specifically a "modern control scheme with 3rd person over-the-shoulder aiming and optional classic tank controls." You can also choose "pixelation and retro effects" if you're keen to fully embrace that classic 90s horror atmosphere. What's more, multiple endings are on offer, so despite the relatively short four-to-six hour gameplay duration, there's plenty of replay value for completionists or those simply curious to explore every avenue of Sam's journey. But when precisely does Heartworm launch for your nostalgic trip? Here's everything you need to know. Introducing All Out Gaming Introducing All Out Gaming, a dedicated gaming brand providing the best gaming news, reviews, previews, interviews and more! Make sure you don't miss out on our latest high-quality videos on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, where we'll be posting our latest reviews, previews, interviews, and live streams! You can also subscribe to our free All Out Gaming newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. Heartworm release date The Heartworm release date is scheduled for Thursday, July 31 on PC through Steam. While the store page hasn't revealed a specific time yet, Mirror Gaming has been informed it'll probably be around 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST. We'll double-check this nearer the date and update you if anything changes. A Heartworm demo is currently available on Steam if you fancy testing it before purchasing, and the game will launch in English, French, German, Latin American Spanish, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese.
Scottish Sun
19-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
How I use the three secret buttons on my iPhone to ‘hack' my sleep, road trips, holidays & save time every day
The third trick was only added last year TAP TIPS! How I use the three secret buttons on my iPhone to 'hack' my sleep, road trips, holidays & save time every day Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) YOUR iPhone has a bunch of secret buttons – and they'll change the way you use your phone every day. There are clever tricks for road trips, going on holiday, and even there's one time-saving trick you'll wonder how you lived without. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Your iPhone is more customisable than you may have realised Credit: Apple 7 Go into your Accessibility settings to find a clever shortcut Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun I've been hunting for hidden iPhone hacks for years, and there are a few that are easily missed. That includes these three secret buttons you might never have even heard of. SECRET BUTTON 1 – ACCESSIBILITY SHORTCUT First up is the Accessibility Shortcut, which is hiding in plain sight on the outside of your iPhone. You know the Side Button? It's the one that you use to lock your iPhone with a click, or to pull up Siri by holding down. Well it has a secret function that you can trigger by clicking it three times. And you can change that function by going into Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut. I usually have mine set to one of two things. My main pick is Background Sounds, which makes my iPhone play rain noises. This is great when you need to shut out the outside world. It also works in the background of podcasts too, which is nice. And it's a handy way to get off to sleep, if you struggle with that. iPhone 16e review – I've secretly tested Apple's cheapest mobile and I love the new button but that's not the best bit You can also change the sound that it plays by going into Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds. A second option is setting Accessibility Shortcut to Vehicle Motion Cues. This puts moving dots on the screen to try to help you avoid motion sickness when you're in a car. The dots match the motion of the vehicle to give your eyes a reference point, reducing the effect that triggers the nausea. I tested Vehicle Motion Cues on a road trip earlier this year, and I was impressed with the results. 7 You can set the triple-click to do lots of different things Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun SECRET BUTTON 2 – BACK TAP Another very handy option is Back Tap, which turns the back of your mobile into a button. You choose a function, and then you can trigger it by tapping the back of your phone. Better yet, you can have one function for a double-tap, and then a different one for a triple-tap. 7 The Touch settings let you unlock Back Tap Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun To find it, just go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. There are loads of choices. For double-tap, I've got it set to take a screenshot. You'll use this every day – it's just so handy. And for triple-tap, I have it on Shazam. That's the clever feature that identifies a song that's playing nearby – maybe on the radio or in a shop. 7 You can assign two different functions to Back Tap Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun SECRET BUTTON 3 – LOCK SCREEN SWAP How often do you use your phone's torch? Probably not enough to need a shortcut on the Lock Screen for constant access. Well in iOS 18 (go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if you've got the update), you can swap out the torch and camera icons for something else. The camera is pretty useful (unless you've got a newer iPhone with the built-in camera button). 7 Go into your Lock Screen editing settings to swap out the shortcuts Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun But you can probably get away with swapping out the torch, as you can access that via the Control Centre or Siri easily enough. Just hold down on the Lock Screen, tap customise, choose Lock Screen, then tap on the torch to replace it. I've got mine set to open my Reminders app, because I use it all the time. But you can have it open almost any app, or perform loads of different functions. If one doesn't exist, you can tap on Shortcuts to create exactly what you want it to do. 7 You could replace the torch with almost anything Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun A good option for holidays is setting it to launch the Translate app, but the choice is totally yours. And if you decide you hate it, you can always go back to the plain old torch.
