2023 has been quite the year for video game adaptations. Following “The Last of Us,” “Super Mario Bros,” “Dungeons and Dragons” and “The Witcher,” Scott Cawthon’s “Five Nights At Freddy’s” is the latest game to make it to the big screen.
Reception of the movie has been mixed, but it’s definitely worth seeing if you’re not expecting a high-budget masterpiece. The film has its fair share of creepy animatronics, easter eggs and jump scares that are fitting of a new addition to the FNAF franchise.
Can You Survive Five Nights?
Since its release in 2014, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” has established itself as an iconic indie horror game. Its expanded franchise includes 20 games, 48 books, plenty of merchandise and worldwide popularity. The latest addition depicts the story of security guard Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) taking on the night shift at an abandoned pizzeria. He takes the job to provide for and retain custody of his sister, Abby (Piper Rubio). Mike soon discovers there’s much more to the job than watching security cameras. Haunted animatronics come to life and, with the help of police officer Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), Mike must survive the horrors that come to life each night.
Mixed Reviews
With a 25 percent score from critics and an 89 percent score from fans on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say the film is not on its way to masterpiece status. However, in general, audiences have a good time with it.
Director Emma Tammi took a different approach when translating the game to the big screen. She sacrifices the games’ gore and horror for a family-friendly adaptation. The film is not as horrific as the original source material, which are populated by numerous jump scares and thrilling sequences. In addition, the animatronics aren’t nearly as haunting as the games would lead us to expect. The atmosphere resembles a watered-down version of the tense, spine-chilling tone that the games’ settings evoke.
There’s certainly room for more horror to be achieved in sequels of the film, however. The plot also highlights family dynamics that add a necessary depth to a movie that would otherwise resemble a YouTube let’s play.
Mysteries and Lore Galore
If you’re expecting a completely lore-accurate film, prepare to be disappointed. The film does well tying in several key points from lore, but it is certainly its own creation. Keeping this in mind, the film is far more successful as its own, distinct addition to the FNAF franchise. It will inevitably fail if it’s expected to be completely accurate to the games.
However, Cawthon, the original games’ creator, did have a role in the film’s development as a producer and screenplay writer. He indicates that while the film takes the opportunity to expand and explore the FNAF universe, it also includes easter eggs from pre-existing content that die-hard fans will be sure to identify and analyze.
Much of the appeal of the FNAF franchise comes from the plethora of mysteries fans can solve and the theories created in the process. The film takes advantage of this with several avenues that are left unexplored. Fans will still have plenty to tear apart with theory. Overall, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie is a great film to watch during spooky season, as long as your expectations aren’t too high.
