Scott Cawthon and Jason Blum must trust the Five Nights at Freddy’s audience to go out and watch their new movie. With tons of references to the beloved multi-platform video game series and a PG-13 horror experience suitable to willing fans, this animatronic-populated thrill ride seems to have everything that those invested in the FNaF lore. And yet, there is something slightly off about this one. This video game adaptation might not be your best choice tonight.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Plot Summary
A desperate security guard gets a job working nights at an abandoned pizzeria filled with full-sized animatronic characters. Of course, as more bizarre and creepy events happen, our hero must figure out how to defend himself when something terrifying comes his way.
History and Missed Opportunities of the FNaF Movie Adaptation
The first entry in the prolific franchise came out in 2014, and since then, we have seen nearly a dozen follow-ups in various capacities. In this day and age, a film or television version coming out over nine years after the start of a franchise is an exceptionally long time. So long that a film inspired by Five Nights at Freddy’s (entitled Willy’s Wonderland), starring Nicolas Cage, has already existed for over two years.
Having taken so long to release this film, Five Nights at Freddy’s is understandably stuffed with content. Very little of this will interest the uninitiated since much of the FNaF-style entertainment in the movie is like watching someone else play a video game. Some will be enthralled, especially those already deeply interested in Five Nights at Freddy’s, but most others (particularly detractors of the game) will likely not see the appeal.
Josh Hutcherson and the Human Element of Five Nights at Freddy’s
Elizabeth Lail and Josh Hutcherson in ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’
For those unfamiliar with the game, Five Nights at Freddy’s is a first-person horror survival game, with the first simply plunging you into the security guarding of the five-night experience. To fill in the gaps for a film, co-screenwriter/director Emma Tammi gives viewers a fleshed-out story about the troubled security guard, replete with trauma, a sister he cares for, and a villainous aunt who wants to take her away. Who these details are for never really comes to fruition; for game players, it is very distracting from the horror, and for newcomers, it is painfully conventional horror plotting.
Should Non-Players Watch Five Nights at Freddy’s?
Given the approach Blumhouse and video game creator Cawthon take here, they may intend this film as a companion to gamers. Five Nights at Freddy’s will likely leave all but the most dedicated fans wanting more from the lackluster script, but those who have never played FNaF looking for a real scream should head to the game instead. At least then, you will know whether the expanded universe of Five Nights at Freddy’s is even remotely scary to you.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is streaming now on Peacock.
