Wait, is the Until Dawn movie just a retelling of the game? Here's what we know

Back in 2015, Until Dawn dropped on PlayStation and instantly shook up the horror gaming scene. Why? Because it wasn’t just about jump scares, it was about you. Every decision you made, from the path you chose to whether you hid or ran, shaped the story. Your choices could mean the difference between survival and a gruesome death for one of the characters.

The game felt like playing a slasher movie with interactive controls. It followed a group of friends stuck in a snowy mountain lodge, hunted by terrifying creatures called Wendigos, monsters from Native American legends that are born when a human eats human flesh. It was dark, chilling, and totally addictive.

One of the coolest features about the Until Dawn game was the butterfly effect system. This meant that small choices could lead to major consequences. Say you picked up a weapon early in the game? That might save someone, or doom someone else later.

This interactive storytelling made every playthrough different. You could keep everyone alive… or end up alone and terrified. That sense of power and dread kept players hooked.

Note: This article reflects the author's personal opinions.

Movie but with a twist

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Fast forward to today, and we’ve got an Until Dawn movie. Naturally, fans were excited. Would we finally get to see the Wendigos on the big screen? Would it follow the same branching storylines? Would our favorite characters survive?

Well… not exactly.

Director David F. Sandberg (yep, the guy behind Lights Out and Shazam!) took the story in a whole new direction. Instead of re-creating the game beat-for-beat, he decided to do something bold and fresh.

Instead of Wendigos and survival decisions, the movie introduces a time-loop horror format. Think Happy Death Day or Groundhog Day, but way bloodier. The characters are stuck reliving the same night over and over, and each time, they die in new, horrifying ways.

It’s more about escaping the loop than escaping monsters. And while that’s an interesting idea, it feels like a huge departure from what made the original game special.

This movie doesn't just ditch the Wendigos. It adds a bunch of horror tropes that weren’t even in the game. We’re talking:

Creepy ghosts
A sinister witch
A masked slasher-type villain

These elements feel like they came from a different horror universe altogether. And while some of the scares land, others just feel out of place. Fans were hoping for something that stayed true to the heart of the game, and this isn’t it.

Let’s give credit where it’s due. The movie looks great. The snowy, isolated setting is still chilling. And the special effects in the first half are super effective, bloody, tense, and creepy in all the right ways.

Some of the death scenes are downright creative. If you’re into gore and stylish kills, then there's a lot to enjoy here.

Unfortunately, it loses its grip in the second half. The rules of the time loop become confusing, and the plot jumps all over the place. The ending? Totally messy and unsatisfying. And let’s not even talk about how the Wendigos were reduced to a blink-and-you-miss-it mention.

Game vs Movie

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The Until Dawn game and its film adaptation take very different approaches to horror. In the game, the primary threat comes from terrifying Wendigos, creatures from Native American folklore that turn humans into monsters. The gameplay is interactive survival horror where every choice you make affects who lives or dies, creating a tense and mysterious atmosphere where you truly shape the story.

On the other hand, the film replaces the Wendigos with a mix of time loops, ghosts, and a masked killer, turning it into a more traditional supernatural slasher film. Unlike the game where your decisions matter, the film is a completely linear experience—you just watch as events unfold for the characters in a chaotic, sometimes surreal way.

While the game makes you feel responsible for the survival of the characters, the film simply approaches the content and the horror genre without any element of immersive interaction.

This fundamental difference means fans of the game's choice-driven horror might be disappointed, while movie-goers get a more conventional (if somewhat messy) horror experience. The game is about strategy and consequences, while the movie is about surviving a bizarre, repeating nightmare. Both have scary moments, but they elicit fear in completely different ways.

Clearly, they’re very different.

David F. Sandberg has been pretty open about his vision. In interviews, he said he didn’t want to copy the game. Since the game already played like a movie, he felt there wasn’t a point in just repeating it on screen.

Instead, he wanted to give fans something unexpected. Whether that worked or not… well, that’s up to the audience.

If you loved the game and are expecting a faithful adaptation, you’ll probably be disappointed. But if you’re someone who enjoys the following tropes:

Time-loop horrors
Creative kills
Ghosts and witches
Fast-paced scares

Then you might actually enjoy this flick for what it is—a supernatural horror film with loose connections to a beloved game.

So, is the Until Dawn movie just a retelling of the game?

Nope. Not even close.

It’s more of a reimagining, using the game as a jumping-off point rather than a roadmap. It ditches the Wendigos, skips the choice-based gameplay, and throws in a mix of horror elements that feel completely new.

Some parts shine, especially the early scares and the atmosphere. But the second half stumbles, and it loses what made Until Dawn truly special: player control, mystery, and emotional tension.

For the true Until Dawn experience, you’re still better off playing the game.