Until Dawn (2025) Review – Polished Horror with a Bloody Loop and Little Personality

Until Dawn

Directed by: David F. Sandberg

Written by: Gary Dauberman, Blair Butler

Starring: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion, Peter Stormare

Release Date: April 25th, 2025

Until Dawn stars Ella Rubin as Clover, a grief-stricken teenager searching for her missing sister. It’s been a year since her sister vanished, and her closest friends are determined to help her find closure—by taking her on a road trip to the last place her sister was seen. Healthy coping mechanism? Not exactly. But that’s what friends Max (Michael Cimino), Nina (Odessa A’zion), Ji-Young, and Nina’s conveniently car-owning boytoy Abe (Belmont Cameli) decide to do.

The trip takes them to a roadside gas station where Clover’s sister sent her final video message. Inside, they meet a creepy attendant, Hill, played by none other than Peter Stormare—you know, that guy from Fargo. He vaguely recognizes Clover’s sister, which propels the group deeper into the mystery, straight into a thunderstorm and the creepy remnants of the allegedly doomed mining town of Glore Valley.

Inside the town’s abandoned Welcome Center, they find a guest book with Clover’s sister’s signature scribbled inside—again and again, becoming more and more erratic. And then the axe falls. Literally.

Everyone dies. Brutally. Abe is sliced in half. It’s graphic and effective horror filmmaking. But then… an hourglass turns, a new night begins, and everyone is back—injured but alive. They’re stuck in a time loop, dying again and again, inching toward an ending that might be worse than death.

So, is Until Dawn worth your time?

It’s… fine. Not great. Not terrible. It’s a slickly made horror movie with a solid concept and competent execution. The gore is well done. The effects are decent. The jump scares work. But there’s just not much here beyond the surface. The pacing drags. The performances are okay but don’t leave much of a mark. The film lacks a sense of humor, charm, or anything resembling a unique voice. It’s modern horror made for mass consumption—forgettable the moment the credits roll.

And now, allow me a petty nitpick: There’s a scene early on where the group watches the missing sister’s video on Clover’s phone. They’ve already seen the video. It’s been a year. But they gather, like a cult around a glowing orb, 20 feet from their car, just to stare at this screen. It’s not natural. It’s painfully staged for exposition and I hate it so, so much.

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The "Until Dawn" movie, a horror adaptation of the popular interactive horror game, premiered on April 25, 2025, according to IMDb. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg and stars Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, and Peter Stormare, who reprise his role from the game. The movie follows a group of friends who find themselves trapped in a remote location, facing a mysterious killer and a series of terrifying events.

Key Details:

Release Date: April 25, 2025.

Director: David F. Sandberg.

Cast: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A'zion, Maia Mitchell, and Peter Stormare.

Plot: The film follows a group of friends who return to a remote mountain retreat, where they are targeted by a masked killer.

Game Inspiration: The movie is inspired by the 2015 PlayStation exclusive horror game "Until Dawn," known for its choice-based gameplay and immersive narrative.

First Look and Trailer: Sony Pictures released a first-look trailer on January 16, 2025, which showcased the time-loop element, similar to the game's survival choices.