Five Nights At Freddy’s originally started in 2014 as a small indie horror game made by game creator Scott Cawthon. Since then, the Five Nights at Freddy’s community has grown to exponential lengths with nine main games created, one of them produced by triple-a game studio, Steel Wool. Since the movie’s debut on Oct 27, it has garnered about $251 million dollars worldwide- proving how devoted the almost decade old fandom is.
The movie takes place in the year 2000, starring Josh Hutcherson- who plays Mike Schmidt desperate for employment after getting fired once again, from his day-job as mall security. Having to provide for his little sister Abby- played by Piper Rubio, he reluctantly takes a nightwatch position at the infamous abandoned Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. This old Chuck E. Cheese style restaurant was left deserted in the 80’s with its own animatronic band. During his first night on the job, he soon realizes the late shift at Freddy’s won’t be easy to endure.
The movie provided a nostalgic flashback for old fans of the game series, including cameos from popular YouTubers such as MatPat, CoryxKenshin, and Dawko. But, if you were to watch the movie as a person with no prior knowledge of the series you’d likely be left confused, and feeling a bit underwhelmed. The movie suffers the same condition of previous video game movie adaptations where it caters toward the niche fan-base rather than a general audience. Because of this, the movie has received excellent fan reviews and extremely poor critic reviews.
If you’re seeking a heart-pounding horror experience, look elsewhere. Despite the movie’s claim, it’s far more thriller than horror. There are a handful of creepy or startling scenes, but the movie fails to deliver the horrifying punch of the original games. Aside from the movie’s flaws, if you’re an old time FNAF fan and are looking for an entertaining, and even quite funny, movie to watch. I highly suggest you see it in theaters with a friend or two.
