This article contains spoilers for "Until Dawn."

This month's "Until Dawn" is the latest in an increasingly lengthy line of cinematic adaptations of popular video games, so one might initially think there's nothing too novel to say about it. On the contrary, the film features a fair amount of originality and innovation, presenting a unique storyline, characters, and environments distinct from the 2015 game of the same name. Don't worry, gamers; this isn't a film wherein the source material has been changed and mutated beyond recognition. Yet it also isn't a glorified remake, either, in contrast to the too-close-to-the-games "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and Max's "The Last of Us" series. It's also not the same thing as "A Minecraft Movie," which is a film that's biggest connection to its source material is almost exclusively in the form of Easter eggs.

Instead, "Until Dawn" adapts the same underlying subtext of the video game,...