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As graphics technology and production values have continued to progress, the video game industry has made considerable efforts to emulate the world of filmmaking, with cinematic story cutscenes and even high-profile actors littering most major releases. Conversely, these games then serve as great fodder for screen adaptations, with source material already doing its best to mimic Hollywood blockbusters.
Even amongst these projects,Until Dawnseems like a perfect choice for the movie treatment. When the original game launched in 2015, it let players navigate through classic horror movie tropes while deciding which characters should live and die. Despite being given a solid story blueprint, the creatives behind the film decided to go in a different direction, which may leave even the game’s most ardent fans scratching their heads.
This article touches on sensitive topics like self-harm. Please read on at your own discretion.
Dr. Hill’s Involvement, Explained
Unlike the game, which initially presents a straightforward slasher premise, the Until Dawn movie revolves aroundfive young adults stuck in a time loop.They are viciously murdered by various horror movie villains before starting the night over.
Before she is killed on the third night (this time via drinking their cabin’s water, leading to spontaneous combustion),Clover is visited by Dr. Hill. Fans may recognize him from the game, as character actorPeter Stormare reprises his iconic role. He taunts Clover,revealing his knowledge of the time loop(he had previously posed as a gas station clerk when they pulled into town). Clover dies, buttells the group about Hill’s involvement upon their next resurrection.
The gang later finds files and VHS tapesexplaining Dr. Hill’s connection to Glore Valley. He arrived after ahorrible mining incidentthat destroyed the town. While he was supposed to act as a therapist to those who had survived, he insteadbegan conducting twisted experiments, observing how those trapped in the valley’s time looptransformed into wendigos after failing to survive 13 nights. Clover and her friends resolve tofind Hill and escape the loopbefore they succumb to the same fate.
The time loop’s existence is unfortunately never fully explained, although the last scene implies Dr. Hill may possess some level of supernatural abilities, suggesting he could have created the loop himself.
The Ending, Explained
The narrative skips ahead a bit, with the audiencetreated to a montage showcasing multiple horrifying deathssuffered by the main characters. At the end, Megan decides toenter a mysterious doorwaythey had previously found in the house aftershe sees Hill enter it. The others wake up on the thirteenth night,deciding to follow Meganin order to rescue her and deal with Hill once and for all.
After an encounter with some wendigos,Clover is separated from the rest of the group. She finds Megan locked in a cell, andstumbles into Hill’s officelooking for a key. There aremultiple televisions with security feedsshowing the gang’s every move. Hill appears and locks the door, setting the stage for his final monologue.
Hill explains that the horrors the group has faced arephysical manifestations of Clover’s trauma. While slashers and witches are common, he postulates that the spontaneous combustion deaths arelinked to Clover’s “self-destructive tendencies”, alluding to her two failed suicide attempts.
Clover finds an opportunity to use this psychological warfare against Hill whenshe notices a busted pipe above his desk. While his back is turned, shepositions his coffee mug underneath the leak, catching a few water droplets. When Hill takes his next sip,he explodes, allowing Clover to grab his keys and rescue Megan.Everyone makes it out alive, and they pile into the car to leave Glore Valley.
Does The Movie Connect To The Game?
Although at first it looks like the movie doesn’t directly link to the game, this may not be the case. During Clover’s confrontation with Hill in his office, we’retreated to a look at some of his other patients' files, including Josh Washington,Rami Malek’s characterfrom Supermassive’s project. Dr. Hillserved as Josh’s therapist in the game, so this can serve asconfirmation that Stormare is playing the same version of the character.
Even more interesting are the last moments of the film. After Hill’s supposed death,we hear his voiceand the surveillance cameras switch feeds,revealing a car pulling up to a snow-covered house. This could bereferencing the inciting incident of the 2015 game, positioning the Until Dawn movie asa prequel. With that being said, it isleft intentionally ambiguous, allowing the filmmakers totake the ending in whatever direction they would likein a subsequent film.
