Indie horror games may be a new favorite for the video game adaptation market. Video game movies are beyond the misguided eras that led some to imagine a surrounding curse, leading filmmakers to make more ambitious choices. Bringing a lesser-known title likeDredgeto the big screen might not draw as many eyes as aMariomovie, but a smaller name allows this sailboat to explore stranger waters.
Dredgeis an independent hit. The game sold more than 1,000,000 copies in around seven months, an impressive showing for a game without a big-name publisher. Critics broadly loved it. Metacritic reports 80 out of 100 scores on every available console. The game combined the enduringly popular fishing genre with unnerving Lovecraftian horror to create something unique and keep fans on their toes.
Metacritic Score
8 out of 10
Dredgewill soon receive a live-action cinematic adaptation from Story Kitchen. Gamers may remember the studio as the rapidly emerging titan in the video game adaptation field. They produced thewell-receivedSonic the Hedgehogmovies, including the trilogy’s upcoming conclusion. Story Kitchen also has its hands in the upcoming adaptations ofStreets of RageandLara Croft: Tomb Raider. Their connection should bring faith to fans, as almost every example they’ve touched has boasted financial success and widespread approval.Dredgeis a unique and interesting choice for a film adaptation, especially from a group so dedicated to seeing non-traditional IP on the big screen.
Dredgeembodies the fabulously unique genre of cosmic horror/fishing simulator. The player controls an unnamed Fisherman who accepts a job in the remotecoastal town of Greater Marrow. The early game adopts the familiar rhythms of workaday job simulators. Players navigate their adorable vessel through the open sea, fill their inventory with fish, sell their bounty for upgrades, and head to bed to start the mission again the next day. Gradually, the Fisherman discovers strange events. Reeling in a line may yield a mutated nightmare. Townspeople warn against traveling at night. It’s the dawning horror ofThe Shadow over Innsmouthmarried to the daily grind ofStardew Valley. A movie based on the title might struggle in the new medium, but there are a few key steps that will ensure some success.
TheDredgemovie must maintain the juxtaposition
Without the quiet, contemplative, day-to-day grind of fishing, the cosmic horror lacks impact. The game succeeds by applying horror elements to a familiar and comfortable genre. It’s the same principle thatcreated John Carpenter’sHalloween. The genre-defining slasher takes place in the suburbs, bringing fear to a place that symbolizes safety. The open sea offers no promise of safety, frequently humbling the most competent navigators with unexpected spite, but a repetitive day job lulls the mind into a state of security. Going out to get fish, concerned mostly with the arrangement of the inventory screen and the speed of the engines, is a fundamentally placid activity. The film can communicate this emotion through the central character and his surrounding world. Play the first act ofDredgelikeA River Runs Through Itso that acts two and three can doThe Call of Cthulhuwith impunity.
TheDredgemovie must nail big reveals
Without wishing to spoil,Dredgegradually introduces larger and more threatening marine life as it goes on. The game could stand to be more bombastic in those moments. Massive animals ruin the boat with increasing frequency as the player navigates the narrative. It hits for several reasons, but many of those emotional reactions are lost upon an audience only watching the experience. This forces the filmmakers to lean into the inherent horror and away from the gameplay cost those beasts can inflict. The Fisherman has to sell the scares. Cinematography and sound effects are more critical when trying to draw in a more distant audience. This is one of themajor pitfalls of adapting a video gameto a non-interactive medium, butDredgemust adapt.
Dredgemust deliver a perfect soundscape
If theDredgemovie gets nothing else right, it must master the audio experience.Dredge’s soundtrack, composed by the great David Mason, is a masterclass in building tension. It is, however, incomplete when listening to the traditional recording. WhereDredgeexcels is in the atmospheric sound effects that accompany Mason’s music. The natural noise provides more immersion than any live-action adaptation. This soundscape blends jaunty tunes with a haunting ambiance to build on the game’s tonal juxtaposition. If Story Kitchen can’t just rehire David Mason, they must deliver an appropriately note-perfect soundtrack and excellent sonic Foley work to helpDredgework on the big screen.
Dredgemay seem like an unusual choice for big-screen success, but its path to the box office is clear. The game has everything it needs to succeed as a horror feature. As long as Story Kitchen finds the right blend of tones, filmmaking tricks, and a perfect audio experience, they can turnDredgeinto their next success. Fans will be longing for the sea in the brief moment before they decide never to touch water again.
