Movie Review: Five Nights At Freddy’s

Review by: Drew Hoffmaster

Artist: Emma Tammi

Rating: 3/5

Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) is a game series created by Scott Cawthon and released in August 2014. The franchise has since grown to encompass 20 games, 48 novels and now a movie.

The story is based on the plot of the original game, following a security guard named Mike as he takes a job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, a restaurant with murderous animatronic mascots. The movie expands on the original storyline, with Mike trying to unpack the trauma of his younger brother’s kidnapping as he tries to care for his sister.

The cast does a great job at making moments where you have to suspend your disbelief feel real and align with their character’s identity. Josh Hutcherson’s excellent portrayal of Mike makes his fear of the animatronics feel genuine while his fearful screams of sorrow strike the audience’s hearts. The movie also is brimming with easter eggs, a treat for long-time fans of the franchise.

Going in, I hoped the movie would have the game’s original uncanny charm, but the scares did not make me jump
enough. I found it disappointing that the supposedly terrifying animatronic models instead looked warm and fuzzy. However, despite the film’s lack of scariness the creepy, techno soundtrack did help create a chilling atmosphere.

Overall, I found the story engaging and fun to watch. It is clear that Blumhouse Productions has managed to successfully take a popular game and make it into another shining example of a successful video game movie!