The horror movie that has had people holding their breath has finally arrived, and it does not disappoint. “Five Nights At Freddy’s” adds to the list of amazing media to be released in 2023, with more to come.
Directed by Emma Tammi and contributed to by none other than the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” game developer Scott Cawthon himself, this movie is a joyride for fans of the original “Five Nights At Freddy’s” games and newcomers alike.
This movie stars Matthew Lillard – Stu Macher from “Scream” – as the movie’s main antagonist — and Josh Hutcherson – Peeta from “The Hunger Games” – as the main protagonist, as well as Piper Rubio and Elizabeth Lail as supporting characters.
Fair warning: “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a franchise known for its jump scares and intense creepy vibes. The movie is very accurate to the source material in that regard. If you are sensitive to these kinds of things, you may want to stay away from this movie. It also contains some graphic violence at points and talks about subjects like child murder.
Based on the video game franchise of the same name, “Five Nights At Freddy’s” follows Mike Schmidt, a young man who is in desperate need of a job so he can continue to hold custody of his younger sister, Abby. When he ends up landing a night shift job as a security guard for the shut-down Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, he soon discovers the nightmares of the night shift.
The animatronics come alive at night, and they are out for blood. There’s also a mystery to solve. Mike has been searching for the man who kidnapped his younger brother when he was a child, and his brother’s disappearance may be connected to the mystery of Freddy’s.
As a fan of “Five Nights at Freddy’s” ever since the first game came out in 2014, this movie hit all of the right spots. Fans of the games coming in, though, should not expect the story to play out like it does in the original franchise. There are some huge differences here.
This movie was a fun ride, even better enjoyed in a theater full of fellow fans. For those who watch a lot of YouTube, this movie has a couple of cameo surprises in store.
I don’t watch many horror movies, so this was out of my comfort zone, but this movie wasn’t as scary as I expected it to be. Still, though, the atmosphere of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria is rightfully terrifying and will have you never wanting to go near an animatronic ever again.
Lilliard’s acting was phenomenal in this movie. He plays the role of the villain so well, and you can tell he’s enjoying it. Hutcherson is no slouch either, doing an amazing job at portraying Mike as a troubled young adult who really cares for his younger sister. Props to Rubio and Lail for their great performances as Abby and Vanessa, the two female supporting characters.
There are some scenes in the movie that felt like they could have been replaced by other scenes that contribute more to the plot, but these scenes were still very enjoyable. There are plot holes and unanswered questions galore, but fans of the games know that’s just how Cawthon rolls.
However, your enjoyment of the movie really depends on how much you are willing to overlook the plot holes and awkward pacing at times. If you can do that, you’ll have a blast. If not, you shouldn’t waste your time with this one.
Since this is a horror movie about haunted animatronics that come alive at night, I wouldn’t expect too much logic and realism either. This movie is great for those who aren’t too nitpicky and are just looking for a good time.
Speaking of the animatronics, each of the animatronics in the film was faithfully created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and they look stunning. You can tell the creators were dedicated to making the animatronics look as faithful to the games as possible, making a lot of fans very happy. The animatronics fit the bill of looking cute enough to entertain kids while still being creepy and unsettling.
This movie also has a good bit of comedic moments sprinkled in to break up the tension, which I think is always a good thing. A franchise like “Five Nights at Freddy’s” does not take itself too seriously.
Lilliard could have used more screen time, but he uses the time he has phenomenally. His performance as the main antagonist of the movie was one of the best parts. There is also a certain animatronic who could have had a bigger role, but getting more into that would go into spoiler territory.
Overall, “Five Nights At Freddy’s” is a wild ride that I would recommend to all – fan or no fan of the original games – to go and experience. We are truly living in an age of great video game adaptations.
