Warning: Spoilers ahead
Five Nights at Freddy’s came out last weekend, and for some fans, it is perfect, capturing the lore and atmosphere of the games and books. For others, however, it is too childish and not scary enough as Five Nights at Freddy’s is a horror franchise first and foremost.
To understand what the fans were expecting in the theater, you first have to understand the lore of the franchise. In the fictional world of the franchise, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza was a chain of pizzerias operating from 1980-1997. During that time, six children were murdered, and their bodies were never found. Fans know, however, that the bodies are actually inside the robotic suits that once entertained children at the pizzerias. The children embody the famous characters of the pizza chain, including Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy, the famous quintuple gang of this franchise. The protagonist of the franchise is Henry Emily, who is featured in the books Silver Eyes, Twisted Ones and The Fourth Closet, while the antagonist is William Afton. His most famous alias is Springtrap, and he’s the one who killed and stuffed the children in the aforementioned suits.
Given this context, fans rightly were expecting Five Nights at Freddy’s would be a horror movie. When it premiered though, fans did not get the film they expected. First, the film is PG-13, a rating that immediately sparked controversy. Second, the film itself focuses less on the grisly aspects of the franchise. Fans got a movie about friendship, containing only 3 horror scenes and a whole lot of fan-service.
The creator of the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise, Scott Cawthon, brought in Youtubers who are big players in this game franchise into the films. The two main Youtubers the film features are Game Theory (aka Matpat) and CoryxKenshin. MatPat connects the dots through the hints given in the books and games, while CoryxKenshin played the first franchise game when it was fresh and new.
The movie’s plot is confusing and feels rushed in some areas. The whole plot revolves around the protagonist, Michael Afton, who is trying to find out who killed his little brother. He keeps trying to find out who killed him by going to that same dream every night, and it doesn’t work. He’s fired from his security job in a mall due to him thinking a child was being kidnapped, but eventually lands a position at Freddy’s. Others warn him that it is a bad idea bringing a child to Freddy’s, but Michael brings his sister Abby along. For fans, the most controversial scene features the animatronics making a fort in the pizzeria. Supposed to be scary, the animatronics act like children building a fort with Abby.
Overall, the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is a solid 8 out of ten. The robotics and practical effects are top notch, and the pizza place design is true to the source material. Additionally, the acting is great. Since its premiere, the film has made almost 300 million dollars, and it only cost 25 million dollars to produce.