Dead by Dawn (SOHOME) Delivers Stylish Modern Gillao Thrills

Title: Dead by Dawn

First Non-Festival Release: TBD

Director: Dawid Torrone

Writer: Dawid Torrone

Runtime: 87 Minutes

Starring: Sylwia Boron, Monika Frajczyk, Adam Machalica

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Sohome Film Festival in 2025.

The lore behind the Heissenhoff theaters is extensive thanks to the terrible tragedy that colored its history more than thirty years ago. With the recent death of an exorcist on their minds, a group of actors come into the theater on Christmas to prepare for their upcoming production. All is going well until the actors start getting picked off one-by-one. Isolated and unable to call for help, the crew must band together to fight off the masked invader hellbent on recreating the ritual performed all those years ago.

Breezy, trippy, and creative, Dead by Dawn is a fun yet flawed giallo-inspired slasher.

For fans of the traditional setup, Polish slasher Dead by Dawn is committed to the basics. Infusing the campier elements of giallo films to add to its slasher formula, Dead by Dawn finds a comfortable mix that doesn’t quite overpower its distinctly Polish cynicism. While it does follow this formula, as it gets further into the story, the more giallo elements start to materialize. Ostentatious characters, exaggerated set pieces, and a consistent flair for the dramatic brighten up the dourer moments or monologues.

There’s plenty to appreciate within its story, but Dead by Dawn does take some liberties in exploring its themes. Expounding on conspiracies, spirituality, and artistic integrity, Dead by Dawn tends to get a bit preachy with its message. It’s clear which characters serve as a stand in for whole social movements or archetypes, and unfortunately it gets worse throughout the film. The issue isn’t that its characters are politically minded, actors can be very hit-or-miss in this regard, it is how it is shoe-horned into the narrative without much deeper thought. The one exception to this is actually something it touches on less frequently and that is the so-called cataclysmic birth rate decline. The strong emotions and the ways in which the topic of family planning appears gives credence to the over-the-top violence that ensues, which is spot-on for how the real-life debates feel like.

Dead by Dawn takes an interesting approach to its slasher setup, subverting expectations for how the body count rises. Nearly every confrontation with the killer is filmed in a way that cuts out the typical moments of building suspense. Because of the way writer/director Dawid Torrone paces the film, much of the deaths are more shocking than scary thanks to the distinct lack of tension in the kill sequences. The end result resembles something more of an anti-slasher film due to the no-nonsense approach to killing. And strangely, it works. It also makes the film feel a bit more unnerving thanks to the unpredictability of its killer.

Stylish as hell, Dead by Dawn wears its influences on its sleeves in constructing its DMT-laced, giallo-esque slasher. Full of bright lights, sprawling hallways, and blood-stained surfaces, Dead by Dawn leans into its giallo sensibilities mostly in its aesthetics. The chaotic editing and lighting add to the adrenaline as Dead by Dawn further disorients amidst a rising body count. It’s clear that intentionality drives Torrone’s creative process considering how specific his vision translates to screen. Evocative, nostalgic, and just a bit over-bearing at times, these smaller touches make the horror of Dead by Dawn all the more exciting.

Stranger for sure, Dead by Dawn is a brutal horror film that revels in misdirection. Colorful, hazy, and brutal, this Polish indie has all the ingredients for a good slasher. It might get twisted up in its own messaging but the hazy, dream-like quality that it takes on makes the nightmare more palatable. If anything, the ham-fisted social commentary and polarizing slasher mechanics add charm to the feature even if it does drag down the narrative a bit. Poland may not quite be there on the international horror stage yet, but with more attempts like Dead by Dawn, they’ll get there soon enough.

Overall Score? 7/10