The original Until Dawn video game is a massively popular visual novel game that emphasizes the butterfly effect. Each action the player takes can profoundly impact the course of the story, so each decision must be made carefully. The story follows a group of friends, who return to a mountainside lodge a year after the deaths of two other friends. The group is then stalked by a malevolent killer, and even encounters the Wendigo, a cannibalistic creature from Indigenous folklore.
Until Dawn actually did get its own movie adaptation, but many fans of the game found this disappointing considering it had absolutely nothing to do with the game. It was also criticized for how it lacked the diverse and memorable characters that made the original so great. So, if you’re looking for a good horror movie to stratch that itch, don’t worry, because these are the best films perfect for fans of Until Dawn.
Content warning: the following list contains spoilers for the video game Until Dawn
10
‘Saw II’ (2005)
At first glance, Saw II doesn’t at all seem like it fits with Until Dawn, but if you take a closer look at it, they actually share a lot in common. This installment of the franchise follows a group of people locked in an isolated house, where they must endure a series of traps and deadly puzzles to survive. All the while, they are being watched by Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), a malevolent serial killer.
Until Dawn also features a slasher-esque killer, one who crafts a series of elaborate traps to terrorize the friends in the lodge. Moreover, Saw II also features the isolated setting and a memorable, diverse cast of characters with different flaws and personalities. Saw II isn’t a movie that everybody likes, but there are enough similarities with Until Dawn that fans can still find it enjoyable.
9
‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (1997)
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a cult classic slasher film that surely needs no introduction. The movie opens up with a group of teens accidentally running over a lone fisherman. Later, the group parts ways, heading off to college, only to reconvene the following summer. Though the trauma of the accident affects them deeply, they try to put it aside to enjoy each other’s company. This is cut short, however, when the fisherman returns for his revenge.
There’s a lot here that Until Dawn clearly took inspiration from. Tragic accident a year ago kicking off the story? Check. A group of interesting and memorable teen characters? Check. Meeting up again to try and get past the trauma? Check. Terrifying killer after the group in search of revenge? Check. Even though it’s kind of cheesy, this movie became a cult classic for a reason, and is remembered fondly by many.
8
‘The Retreat’ (2020)
The Retreat is a horror movie that not a lot of people have heard of, and that not everybody liked. The movie has a pretty simple plot, following a group of friends that takes a winter backpacking trip to the Adirondack High Peaks in upstate New York. There, they are mercilessly hunted by the Wendigo, who stalks them through the snow and begins to pick them off, one by one.
The story is almost identical to Until Dawn, even featuring the exact same monster and a a super similar setting. Though The Retreat was criticized for its low budget and unconvincing practical effects, it kind of deserves some leeway considering it’s an indie film. In any case, some critics did laud it, calling it a fun, if simplistic, psychological horror experience, though nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary.
7
‘Cabin Fever’ (2002)
Cabin Fever, as expected, follows a group of friends who spend some time away at a cabin out in the wilderness. As mentioned, this is an extremely common plot point in horror. There, they encounter a mysterious hermit who is afflicted with an unknown disease, which begins to spread through the water supply, putting the friends in jeopardy and turning them against each other.
Admittedly, the plotline about a disease is pretty far removed from Until Dawn, but there’s still quite a bit in common that the two IPs share. Of course, the main thing is about being out in a cabin in the forest, but there’s also the fact that the plot begins with a terrible accident, and that there is a mysterious hermit out in the wilderness, much like in the game.
6
‘The Lodge’ (2019)
Like many of the other films on this list, The Lodge opens with tragedy, involving the death of a mother and a family torn asunder. Six months after the death, the remnants of the family plan to spend Christmas at an isolated lodge in Massachussetts, owned by the father’s fiancée, and future stepmother of the children. However, the father is forced to head back to the city for an emergency at work, leaving his kids in the care of his soon-to-be-wife.
The relationship between the kids and their future stepmother starts off rocky, but eventually grows solid, which is when frightening events begin occuring. Of course, the snowy mountain lodge and isolated setting are very reminiscent of Until Dawn, as are the elements of psychological horror that the game leans so far into. The Lodge is an underrated film, and a perfect fit for fans of Until Dawn.
5
‘Sleepaway Camp’ (1983)
Sleepaway Camp is another cult classic slasher flick that most people haven’t seen. It’s campy and reeks of 80s cheese, but that’s part of the reason people find it so endearing. The story follows a family that is torn apart after a tragic boating accident which kills two of the members. Years later, the only surviving child heads off to a summer camp, which is when a vengeful killer begins stalking them.
Sleepaway Camp features a monumental bait-and-switch plot twist in regards to the identity of the killer, really similar to the one found about midway through Until Dawn. Apart from that, it features a lot of the same beats, including the plot beginning with a horrific accident, vengeful slashers, and teens spending some time away at an isolated retreat in the wilderness.
4
‘The Ritual’ (2017)
The Ritual opens up on a group of friends residing in the United Kingdom. One of their friends is horrifically murdered during a botched robbery, devastating the remaining four friends. Six months later, the four reconvene and plan a hiking trip in the Swedish mountains as a way of reconnecting, and of remembering their lost friend. Only, their trip rapidly devolves as they find themselves hunted by a sinister cult and a nightmarish deity.
Released on Netflix, The Ritual is a fantastic folk horror film that feels very unique and fresh. But of course, it also shares quite a few similarities with Until Dawn. Namely, it follows friend group embarking on a trip to the mountains after the loss of a friend, only to come face-to-face with supernatural creatures from local mythology. It’s genuinely creepy, yet it’s a thrilling ride from start to finish.
3
‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2011)
The Cabin in the Woods, believe it or not, is about a cabin in the woods. More specifically, it’s about a group of five teens who stay for a while at the cabin, but find occult material in the basement, unleashing zombies and other supernatural beings. However, things get much more complex when the curtain is pulled back, and it is revealed that the cabin is all an elaborate setup involving an experimental lab, which is revealed early on.
This is actually very similar with Until Dawn in a lot of ways. First off, it’s about a group of teens spending some time at a cabin in the woods. That is a pretty common plot point, to be fair. However, in the game, the serial killer is revealed to be Josh, one of the friends, who is taking revenge for the death of his sisters the year prior. He doesn’t actually kill anyone, only terrorizing them, meaning the elaborate traps and such were all a ruse, created by the film equipment left in the lodge by Josh’s filmmaker parents. The whole plot initially being fake is similar in a lot of ways, with both eventually evolving to be much more serious and supernatural in nature.
2
‘The Descent’ (2005)
The Descent is a British horror film about Sarah (Shauna MacDonald), a bereaved woman who loses her husband and daughter in a tragic car accident. A year later, her friends convince her to join them on a caving expedition to North Carolina, which she reluctantly agrees to. In the caves, the friends become separated, becoming hunted by a group of primitive cave creatures known as “Crawlers.”
This shares a lot of similar plot points with Until Dawn. Aside from the Crawlers looking pretty similar to the Wendigo in the game, the story is also about a tragic accident, a trip with friends a year later, and mountainous isolation. The Descent is actually a masterpiece with a really bleak ending, and is one of the most underappreciated, yet terrifying horror movies ever made.
1
‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999)
The Blair Witch Project is a pioneering film in the found footage subgenre, which follows a group of three college students investigating the town of Blair for an assignment. This New England town is apparently home to a local witch, and the students want to do a video essay on it. As they journey into the woods near the witch’s hunting grounds, they find themselves at odds with each other and with the environment, as the forest itself begins to change around them.
The Blair Witch Project is one of the greatest horror films ever made, one that revolutionized the genre and showed what’s possible with a small budget. It also happens to be great for fans of Until Dawn for a couple of reasons. Number one, it follows three college-age adults in an isolated environment, specifically out in the woods. Number two, it utilizes elements of psychological horror that Until Dawn is very fond of. Number three, it’s about aspects of American folklore and mythology. While the two IPs give off totally different vibes, there is quite a bit of similarity between them.
Source link
