Aayush Sharma
Based on the video game of the same name, ‘Until Dawn’ is a survival horror film helmed by David F. Sandberg. The narrative chronicles the journey of a group of friends heading to a remote valley to find clues about the vanishing of someone they know. Although the movie takes some crucial elements from the game, the makers didn’t shy away from taking creative liberties to stitch a story that struck a perfect balance between the game mechanics and cinematic storytelling.
It follows Clover (Ella Rubin), who desperately wants to know about her sister, Melanie, who vanished over a year ago. As the group retraces the steps of Clover’s missing sister, their investigation takes them to an abandoned visitor center where an evil is lurking and waiting for the group to be its next target. Moreover, the movie features a time loop as one of the key aspects of the narrative. The flick sees Clover and her friends dying multiple times only to be revived again, and relive the night. The group’s struggle to get out of this dangerous situation marks the majority of the narrative, with the valley itself portrayed as a breathing presence. As a result, the film relies heavily on its setting and uses the landscapes and isolated atmosphere to heighten the horror element.
Until Dawn Filming Locations
The horror movie, written by Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler, was shot in its entirety in Budapest, Hungary, which has become quite a popular destination in the entertainment industry. Filming also took place in other areas of Hungary. The principal photography for the flick took place between August 2024 and October 2024. One of the reasons why the project didn’t take much time to complete was how it incorporated practical effects and didn’t rely heavily on CGI.
While explaining the use of practical effects for ‘Until Dawn’ in a video, the film’s director, David F. Sandberg, noted that he used editing and prosthetics to make it look more scary. For example, in the movie, a character gets their face bashed into the ground multiple times, becoming more disfigured with each blow. To show the character’s face getting more and more injured without the use of CGI, the filmmaker used a simple editing trick to make it look like it all happened in one take. He said, “Well, I figured that with the right camera angle, we could cut each time the head was bashed into the ground, apply more prosthetics and blood, roll the camera again, and make it seem like one continuous shot.”
Budapest Metropolitan Area, Hungary
Even though the storyline is set in the fictional town of Glore Valley in Pennsylvania, ‘Until Dawn’ was filmed entirely in the Budapest metropolitan area. Being a horror movie, most of the film is enveloped in darkness to keep the audience on the edge. As a result, viewers might not find the beautifully lit streets of Budapest and its lively atmosphere in the backdrop. The production team put together key sets across various locations. Mainly, two exterior sets – a partially buried house covered in graffiti and the Victorian-style Welcome Center – played a significant role during the shoot. Both aforementioned sets were established on the premises of an abandoned orphanage situated in the town of Fót in Pest County, Budapest. On the other hand, most of the sequences in the interior spaces were filmed at Origo Studios, which is located at 1151 Budapest in Felsőkert utca 9.
However, one of the most astounding locations used during filming is the Kőbányai cellar system, a comprehensive web of limestone tunnels that spans over 50 acres. The production designer of the movie, Jennifer Space, used those locations and built a world that was not just frightening, but downright horrifying. In an interview with More Movie Details, Spence revealed that she used the tunnels to “push the envelope” and create something unique. She said, “I was able to push the envelope in terms of the tunnel work and what we could accomplish there. I brought smashed cars and cut them in half, created big tree pieces, and built underground homes leaning, with peaks coming out of the ground.”
The Kőbányai cellar system has a historical value that dates back centuries and is located in the 10th district of Budapest. Throughout history, these tunnels have been used for various purposes. In World War II, these tunnels were used as bomb shelters, while in the past, the underground spaces were utilized by breweries for fermentation and a clean water supply. Currently, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Budapest, and people can take guided tours of the tunnels. The damp and dimly lit corridors of the cellar system naturally evoked a sense of unease, which made the tunnels a perfect setting for the horror film.
The film’s lead actor, Ella Rubin, shot some important sequences in the Kőbányai cellar system and noted that filming at such a location added a wonderful depth to the characters. She told Macabre Daily, “We shot it underground in Budapest, in all these crazy tunnels, being soaked and just dealing with the intensity of the environment really added to the emotional depth of the filming and characters.” Meanwhile, next to these tunnels, a battered 19th-century villa turned out to be another location for the shooting. The crew used the villa to construct two sets: one on the ground floor of the villa and the other in the basement.
On the other hand, actor Michael Cimino, who plays the role of Max in ‘Until Dawn,’ noted that the filming process turned out to be really great, especially the death scenes, which are the highlight of the film. The title features a lot of gory and innovative death sequences, making it not just a thrilling ride, but a scary one too. In an interview with Temple of Geek, he said, “I think we have some amazing, amazing deaths in this. Those are definitely some of my highlights. They were really, really cool. I can’t say all of the specifics, but yeah…I think, like, the kills – or the deaths, more so – in this are amazing.” Meanwhile, in the same interview, Rubin shed a light on a scene that instantly became a fascinating experience for her. Rubin noted, “On my birthday, we did the rain-wall scene, and it was really difficult because the water was freezing. You don’t expect it to be difficult. And so, it was really memorable because I had never acted with my eyes closed for something for so long.”
In recent years, Budapest has become quite a popular destination among several US-based production houses. From picturesque landscapes and tax incentives to state-of-the-art studios and hard-working workers, Budapest gives the studios a chance to do all the work without shelling out too much from their pockets. Apart from ‘Until Dawn,’ several horror movies such as ‘Alien: Romulus,’ ‘Midsommar,’ ‘World War Z,’ ‘The Invitation,’ ‘Infinity Pool,’ and ‘The Rite’ have also been shot in Budapest, Hungary.
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