Director hindered by basic premise that makes it hard to root for lead quintet.

Let me preface this review by saying I have never played the Until Dawn video game – and know nothing about it.

As a result, I am the wrong person to say if this is an accurate adaptation, and can only judge it as a movie on its own merits.

Doing so, Until Dawn comes across as an amalgamation of Happy Death Day , Silent Hill and Cabin in the Woods – but can’t match any of them for quality.

We follow a group of friends who end up trapped in a time loop, where mysterious forces chase and kill them in gruesome ways, and they must survive until dawn to escape it.

Although director David F. Sandberg has spent the past few years helming the Shazam flicks, he has a laudable background in horror ( Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out ).

He does his best to make Until Dawn a worthwhile experience by utilising darkness-shrouded locations, a myriad of monstrous antagonists and several blood-soaked kills.

But he is hindered by the basic premise as it’s hard to care when his characters perish given the fact they get many other lives to spurn before their ultimate demise.

READ MORE: MOVIE REVIEW: We decide if AI-themed sci-fi-thriller ‘Renner’ is worth switching on

While Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler’s script includes some knowing nods and jokes, events are largely played straight, which does the film no favours as the young cast can’t project the pathos their plight demands.

Ella Rubin’s committed Clover is fairly endearing, and has the closest thing to character development with her search for missing sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell).

The rest of the lead quintet just fill generic roles, especially Michael Cimino as lovesick Max and Belmont Cameli as smart-mouthed douchebag Abe .

Peter Stormare ( Dr Hill ) brings his trademark weird but doesn’t feature enough to make an impression.

And after everything the protagonists endure the climax is firmly in “is that it!?” territory.

Whether it’s a faithful adaptation of its video game source material or not, Until Dawn is by-the-numbers horror you should think twice about spending the night with.

● Do you have any favourite films based on video games?

Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.

● Until Dawn is available to buy or rent on Sky Store.

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.