Until Dawn Movie Flops: Critics and Fans Aren’t Impressed, Box Office Hopes Dim

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Summary

  • The Until Dawn film disappoints fans and critics, with low ratings on CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes.
  • Commercial performance is uncertain due to lackluster reviews and marketing.
  • There are continuing challenges to box office profitability with competition and the post-pandemic cinema landscape.

The “Until Dawn” live-action version has been released, and both fans and critics seem to agree that it’s not a strong film or an effective adaptation. These reviews could potentially impact its box office success.

The movie “Until Dawn” is based on the 2015 surprise hit video game by Supermassive Games. Instead of following the original material closely, director David F. Sandberg and writers Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler opted for a unique approach. While the plot remains similar – it involves a group of teens at a cabin in a snowy wilderness – the movie emphasizes elements from the game, such as decision-making and the repercussions of those choices. This focus was seen as unconventional by players of the game, who had mixed feelings about “Until Dawn” based on its initial trailer.

The movie “Until Dawn” was released in theaters on April 25th, and within the next day, it started receiving reviews from the audience. On CinemaScore, it received a mediocre grade of C+, while on Rotten Tomatoes, it garnered only a 53% approval rating. Compared to other R-rated horror films, “Until Dawn” falls towards the bottom end of the spectrum, even for movies released post-pandemic. To give you an idea, it ranks below the exceptional A grade given to Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” the A- of “A Quiet Place II,” and the B+ of “Scream 6,” “The Conjuring 3,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “A Quiet Place: Day One,” and “Haunted Mansion.” It shares the C+ grade with titles like “The Nun 2” and “Insidious: The Red Door.” In terms of video game adaptations, it follows a similar pattern – all the “Sonic the Hedgehog” movies have an A, as did “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” while even fellow horror, “Five Nights At Freddy’s,” managed a respectable A-.

A C+ on CinemaScore Is Not Good News For Until Dawn‘s Box Office Hopes

It Gets Even Worse for R-Rated Horrors

After spending a long time away from his original inspiration, it seems that the reviews for “Until Dawn” aren’t quite the comeback to horror that Sandberg had hoped for, given its predecessors like “Annabelle: Creation” and “Lights Out” typically received at least satisfactory ratings. However, lackluster reviews wouldn’t be a major concern if the movie was doing well financially. Unfortunately, it appears that “Until Dawn” may not be enjoying such success. In today’s crowded post-COVID cinema landscape, even a B grade on CinemaScore is precarious territory, let alone a C+. The industry is still marveling at the might of an A grade, as demonstrated by Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which has been dominating the box office for two consecutive weekends.

As a movie aficionado, I must confess that the commercial success of Until Dawn isn’t solely dependent on critical acclaim. The lackluster marketing strategy surrounding this film might be its Achilles’ heel. Although it boasts a dedicated fanbase, filling theaters with just them seems like a far-fetched dream. Predictions suggest an opening domestic weekend box office of around $8-$12 million, which is quite close to its production budget of $15 million. This leaves the film’s profitability in a precarious position, especially given the imminent arrival of new competition. It’s safe to say that Epic Pictures’ The Mortuary Assistant will be keeping a keen eye on these developments. Fresh off announcing its lead actors, this movie adaptation of Brian Clarke’s 2022 indie horror game is eager to captivate both fans and their wallets alike.

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2025-04-26 23:45