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Just Before Dawn

Play trailer Poster for Just Before Dawn R 1981 1h 30m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Ignoring a forest ranger (George Kennedy), Oregon hikers camp near inbred twins with pointed teeth and meat cleavers.

Critics Reviews

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Alan Jones Starburst 07/29/2022
Just Before Dawn scared me in a way I haven't been scared for years. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 09/06/2020
8/10
There's a steadiness to the pacing, a subtle realism to the attacks, and creative shots for suspense that set the film apart. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 03/09/2015
C+
Fans of slasher films should be drawn to the blood and gore that is so beautifully shot and is not as graphic as it could have been. Go to Full Review
John Beifuss Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) 01/06/2014
3.5/4
The film's lush locations -- the mossy forest with its prehistoric ferns, huge trees, rocky cliffs and misty waterfalls -- add not just production value but a sense of urgency and conviction to the smart script's subtle environmental message... Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 07/12/2006
2/4
...an exceedingly familiar premise that's been done countless times before... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Garry A @heavyg Aug 23 It Isn't very scary but it's a fun watch. The final kill was done in a way I've never seen before. See more Justin T May 16 This had a really bad picture quality. It looked like a bad VHS, maybe a DVD re-release is better quality. Anyway the film itself is a little more interesting than your usual slasher film. The story and characters and location are all a little different. Some of the ideas are really good. When they do get murdered it is a little uninspired whilst still looking quite brutal. If you can get over the poor image quality then this is a fair slasher movie that won’t leave much of a lasting impression. I quite liked it but certainly didn’t love it. See more Carlos I 09/12/2024 A fun backwoods slasher flick. It can drag a little bit at times, but it is elevated by some solid performances and some great cinematography. See more Computey D 02/27/2023 Its one of the better backwoods Slashers that's worth the watch I guess See more hayden m 02/21/2021 Needs editing. Too slow, poor script See more steve d 07/15/2020 It is just different and effective enough to work. See more Read all reviews
Just Before Dawn

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Movie Info

Synopsis Ignoring a forest ranger (George Kennedy), Oregon hikers camp near inbred twins with pointed teeth and meat cleavers.
Director
Jeff Lieberman
Screenwriter
Jonas Middleton, Mark Arywitz, Jeff Lieberman
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
May 3, 2004
Runtime
1h 30m