Video game adaptations continue to be released at a fairly regular cadence. Recently, they’ve been finding success in the form of TV shows. тιтles like The Last of Us and Fallout have been major viewership hits as streaming TV shows adapting popular games.

In the world of movies, video game adaptations have a checkered past. ᴀssᴀssin’s Creed (2016), for example, was a major disappointment, and it’s one of a number of failed attempts to turn a video game into a mᴀssive blockbuster movie franchise. Over the last few years, however, there have been a number of success stories in this space.

The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is still going strong after the debut film in 2020, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a major hit in 2023, grossing $1.360 billion at the box office. This year, A Minecraft Movie became a viral sensation and was a big success in theaters.

Those тιтles are all family-friendly adventures, though, and video game adaptations can certainly be much darker. Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) marked a major win for Blumhouse, and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 releases this December. Another horror video game adaptation arrived this year and didn’t make quite as big of a splash, but it could now be poised to reach more viewers.

Until Dawn Is Now Available To Watch On Netflix

The Underrated Video Game Adaptation Launches On Streaming

Until Dawn is now streaming on Netflix after hitting theaters this spring. Directed by David F. Sandberg, the horror film adapts the Supermᴀssive Games and Sony Computer Entertainment video game of the same name.

Starring Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, Maia Mitchell, and Peter Stormare, among others, Until Dawn is a time-loop story, following a group of friends who must try to survive until the morning as they are attacked by a range of mysterious enemies. The movie was a success, grossing $53 million on a $15 million budget.

As of July 24, Until Dawn is now available for audiences to stream on Netflix. This new streaming home is in addition to other viewing methods, such as purchasing or renting on VOD or buying it on physical media.

What This Means For Until Dawn

This Adaptation Could Be About To Connect With A Larger Audience

With the film now available on streaming, it will be reaching more viewers. A $53 million box office haul is not a poor result given the film’s $15 million budget, but it is relatively modest compared to something like Five Nights at Freddy’s, which grossed a staggering $291 million.

The reception to Until Dawn was somewhat mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a lackluster 53% critics’ score. In ScreenRant‘s own Until Dawn review, however, Mary Kᴀssel awards the film a much more favorable eight out of 10, praising the film’s ability to make the familiar time-loop genre feel new and exciting. She writes:

In the age of stellar video game adaptations, Until Dawn enters a crowded market, but it handles the pressure well, setting itself up to be one of the classics of the genre it’s so in love with.

The concept does a lot of the heavy lifting, as it’s inarguably a great idea. The time loop is a well-worn trope in cinema, but the film makes it fresh with every go-round.

This positive review is seemingly closer to the general audience response, as the movie enjoys a more successful 67% Popcornmeter score. The Until Dawn ending keeps the door open for a sequel, and it’s certainly possible that one will come to fruition, especially if it manages to become a viewership hit on streaming.

Source: Netflix