David F. Sandberg’s horror flick, "Until Dawn," is a cinematic adaptation of a video game bearing the same title. Despite being rooted in a familiar premise - a mishap befalling a group of friends in an abandoned woodland residence, haunted by catastrophic physical and supernatural forces - the film fails to fully capitalize on its elements. The stakes are indeed high as the crew of easily identifiable archetypes must outsmart their foes with a twist that PlayStation game fans will catch at once. However, instead of focusing on this winning formula, the film deviates, making it sporadically scary and vaguely unsatisfying.

Penned by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman of "Annabelle" and "Salem’s Lot" fame, "Until Dawn" enters a film industry awash with game-inspired movies. Although it lacks the cultural acceptance that the recently released "A Minecraft Movie" enjoys, "Until Dawn" has a dedicated fanbase from the original game, which featured voices of actors, Hayden Panettiere and Rami Malek.

Butler and Dauberman maintain the haunted atmosphere of the survival game, which was launched in 2015. Nevertheless, it morphs the existing backstory for the sake of movie-goers, creating an entirely new narrative revolving around five friends engaging in a "healing" road trip across the countryside. The eerie nature of the original game is retained, yet it feels safer than scary.

Buzz around "Until Dawn" was built around a year after Clover (Ella Rubin) experiences the dual loss of her mother and sister with friends deciding to embark on a trip retracing the missing Melanie’s final steps. Here, Butler and Dauberman effectively develop the interpersonal dynamics within the young adults, helping the audience feel emotionally attached despite appearing scattered. The plot thickens when the group finds clues about missing people in an abandoned visitor center in the fictional Glore Valley, with Sandberg effectively using quiet moments for suspense.

Yet, the film’s allure fades rapidly following a slew of deaths and revivals, making the friends realize they are part of a grisly game where survival until dawn is the only way out. Director Sandberg borrows from slasher movies and psychological horror, but seems restricted by the genre. Resultantly, the attempts at seriousness and humor leads to a mystifying outcome.

While parts of "Until Dawn" are commendable for its emulation of classic horror, the lead performances, gaping plot holes, and the conclusion's reliance on visual shortcuts and cliché psychology overshadow them. The backdrop of the abandoned mine is appropriately eerie, and some scenes are effectively macabre, but their efficacy is limited.

It’s ironic that marketing for this muddled film included an incentive for viewers to repeatedly watch it for 12 hours to win a cash prize. Given its overall lackluster performance, it's hard to fathom a situation where one would find such an endeavor worthwhile.