What "Until Dawn" gets right about horror

I never got around to playing Until Dawn, but it’s been on my list for years. I love survival horror, so when I saw they were adapting it into a film (despite the genre’s rocky record with game-to-movie adaptations), I was intrigued.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what defines horror, and that has inevitably shaped how I watch new films.

I watched Until Dawn last night, and a few points stood out to me. I haven’t played the game, so I’m not commenting on whether it’s a faithful adaptation of the game (it’s probably not). I’m also not commenting on the acting or dialogue. I’m only discussing the core elements of the film that make it a pretty solid horror story.

Spoilers below.