Summary
TheUntil Dawnlive-action film is out, and the consensus coming out from fans and critics alike is that it’s neither a solid movie nor a solid adaptation. Such reviews are likely to take a toll on its commercial performance.
Until Dawnis a film adaptation of Supermassive Games’ 2015 sleeper hit video game. Director David F. Sandberg and writers Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler decided to take a different route from the source material. The premise is the same in that it follows a group of teens arriving at a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness, but instead of being a blind copy-and-paste, the film instead focuses on the mechanics of the game, particularly decision-making and consequences. Although novel, players of the game found this choice distasteful andreacted disappointingly toUntil Dawn’s first trailer.
Until Dawnreleased theatrically on April 25 and a day later, reviews and scorecards were out from audiences. OnCinemaScore, the movie received a paltry C+ and 53% approval rating onRotten Tomatoes.Compared to other R-rated horrors on CinemaScore,Until Dawnsits at the lower end of the barrel, even for a post-pandemic film. For reference, it’s ranks below the unprecedented A of Ryan Coogler’sSinners, the A- ofA Quiet Place II,and the B+ ofScream 6,The Conjuring 3,Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,A Quiet Place: Day One,andHaunted Mansion. The film shares the C+ room with titles likeThe Nun 2andInsidious: The Red Door. Among video-game-to-film adaptations, it’s a similar story —all theSonic the Hedgehogmovies have an A, as didThe Super Mario Bros. Movie;even fellow horror,Five Nights At Freddy’s, had a respectable A-.
A C+ on CinemaScore Is Not Good News ForUntil Dawn’s Box Office Hopes
It Gets Even Worse for R-Rated Horrors
After years away from his roots,Until Dawn’s reviews are certainly not a return to the horror genre that Sandberg envisioned, having been mostly accustomed to at least decent scores inAnnabelle: CreationandLights Out. Meager reviews wouldn’t trouble many filmmakers if the commercial front is doing okay. Sadly, that is likely not to be the case forUntil Dawn. In post-COVID-saturated cinema, even a B on CinemaScore is shaky ground, talk more of a C+. Hollywood is still only witnessing the power of an A inRyan Coogler’sSinners,which is poised to lead the box officefor two consecutive weekends.
Reviews aren’t the only thing that threatensUntil Dawn’s commercial performance. The movie’s marketing has been lackluster and, despite having a cult following, theaters aren’t going to be filled with only this demographic. Currently tracking to open domestically with $8-$12 million over the weekend on a $15 million budget, the film’s profitability prospects are still uncertain, especially considering the arrival of fresh competition in the coming weeks. No doubt,Epic Pictures’The Mortuary Assistantwould be watching closely. The film adaptation of Brian Clarke’s 2022 indie horror game of the same name recently announced its lead actors and would likely want to appeal to both fans and their pockets.
