Until Dawn (2025)

Every time these friends die, the night resets with a different kind of monster, which makes Until Dawn play like a horror anthology that forgot to change the cast. Fun idea. Diminishing returns. Clover drags her friends to a remote valley to retrace the steps of her missing sister, a storm pins them in an empty visitor center, and an hourglass on the wall tells them the night is on repeat. Each loop throws a new flavor of fright at them, from a masked stalker to creatures in the woods. Problem is, the picture is so dim you’ll squint through half of it, most of the characters are paper thin, and fans of the game will barely recognize it. Ji-young Yoo is the bright spot as Megan, the group’s psychic, who looks like she’s enjoying the chaos more than anyone. It made $54.1 million worldwide on a reported $15 million budget. A 4.8 because the concept is clever and every reset gets a little less scary. $852.35 says you refuse to sign the guestbook at your next vacation rental.

What works: The time loop idea lets the movie try a different kind of horror each round, and Ji-young Yoo’s Megan brings real personality and humor.

What doesn’t: The murky, under-lit look, the thin characters and the shrinking returns of each reset wear the concept out well before morning.

Who it’s for: Friends who want a goofy, forgettable horror night in and don’t care whether it matches the game.