Netflix just added this bloody teen horror movie based on a hit PlayStation game — and it's already crashed the top 10

Tom's Guide

a day ago

Netflix just got the gory horror video game adaptation "Until Dawn," and it's immediately shot into the Top 10.
Despite only being added yesterday (July 24), the "Until Dawn" movie has already laid claim to the No. 2 spot in the streaming service's charts, second only to "K-Pop Demon Hunters".
Honestly, I'm kind of shocked that many people want to stream "Until Dawn" on Netflix, because it's a pretty tedious watch. Take it from me: If you really want to experience the "Until Dawn" story, this is not the way. If you've got access to a PS5, skip the movie entirely and just play the game that inspired it. I'm confident you'll have a better time.
It's not just that it differs vastly from the game it's based on; it's also just a very bland horror film, one that's lacking in the thrill and chill departments.
However, if seeing the movie rise through the ranks has piqued your curiosity, you can find more info about "Until Dawn" (and a round-up of what people have said about it) below, to help you decide whether to stream it or not.
David F. Sandberg's "Until Dawn" adaptation follows Clover (Ella Rubin), her ex-boyfriend Max (Michael Cimino) and her friends as they retrace the steps of Clover's missing sister.
The group heads to the remote valley where Melanie (Maia Mitchell) disappeared a year ago. There, they stumble upon an abandoned visitor center, where they're stalked and murdered one by one by a masked killer, slasher movie-style. Then ... they wake up.
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The group finds themselves alive and forced to relive that night over and over, facing ever-more-terrifying killer threats. And when they realize they've only got a limited number of deaths left to play with, they realize the only way out will be to survive until dawn.
The "Until Dawn" movie also stars Peter Stormare, Odessa A'zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmonth Cameli, and Lotta Losten.
Unless you're between horror flicks and simply must watch something featuring cheap jump-scares and gory deaths, you don't need to rush to watch "Until Dawn" if you haven't already: it is sorely lacking in comparison to the game/interactive movie it's based on.
Even as someone who scares pretty easily, I found it to be a muddled, clichéd, and, frankly, dull. Aside from being impressed by the work that went into realizing some of "Until Dawn's" deaths, I was otherwise unmoved.
I'm not the only person who thinks that way, either, as the "Until Dawn" movie wasn't exactly received all too well. At the time of writing it holds a 53% score on the review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes (from a total of over 100 reviews), indicative of a mixed reception.
Reviewing for Empire, Harry Stainer offered a 2/5 verdict, arguing the "Until Dawn" movie wastes its intriguing premise and labels it "undercooked," writing: "What should have been a twisty horror ride ends up feeling like it's bursting at the seams to move up a gear — but never does."
The Hollywood Reporter's Lovia Gyarkye, meanwhile, called the movie "more safe than scary" and "confused" as it veers from different horror reference points, adding: "Most of Sandberg's film ends up going through the perfunctory motions of classic horror, piquing interest occasionally with a progression of impressive kills and a sharp use of practical effects."
Even the more positive reactions aren't exactly glowing ones. The Guardian's Benjamin Lee offered a 3-star rating, but had this to say: "'Until Dawn' is a passable, if rather unfrightening frightener, made with some skill and enlivened by a strong troupe of young actors, enough to notch it slightly above the piss-poor standard but not quite enough to really justify its existence."
That said, some viewers are at least a little warmer on the "Until Dawn" movie. It holds a 67% Popcornmeter score, and some Rotten Tomatoes users. Then again, someone else described it "as mid as it gets," so... your mileage definitely will vary.
Bottom line? While some viewers have evidently gotten a kick out of "Until Dawn," it's definitely not a movie you must stream now it's on Netflix.
If that means you're now on the hunt for something new to stream, check out our round-up of the best horror movies on Netflix or the overall best Netflix movies for tons more (better) streaming recommendations.
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