The highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy’s feature film from Blumhouse Productions was just recently released in the United States on October 27, 2023 in theaters and on the streaming service, Peacock. A great number of existing fans and newcomers entered theaters or turned on their TV’s to experience this exhilarating story and long awaited feature-length rendition of the existing survival horror video game. The box office numbers clearly show this outpouring of support as the film has grossed $78 million in the US as of the 30th of October (Murphy, 2023). Directed by Emma Tammi, Five Nights at Freddy’s exceeded viewer’s expectations and fell short of some. Some of the disappointment regarding the film may be a result of the varying expectations from veteran Five Nights at Freddy’s gamers who anticipated specific elements that were lacking in the film. Nonetheless, this horror game favorite turned feature film captivated audiences across the board.
Overview
Our main protagonist, Mike, seems to be at a low when he gets fired from his day job as a mall security guard and risks losing custody of his younger sister, Abby. When given the opportunity by a strange faceless employer to take the night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, Mike accepts, having no other options and in desperate need of a job in order to maintain custody of Abby. Following this call to action, a wild and chilling adventure ensues as the protagonist slowly begins to discover the true nature of Freddy’s Pizzeria and the animatronics who inhabit it.
Notable Cast
The protagonist of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Mike, was played by American actor and producer Josh Hutcherson who is most widely known for his role as “Peeta” in the largely successful The Hunger Games film series. Hutcherson’s popularity may have been one thing that brought so many viewers out to watch the new Five Nights at Freddy’s film.
Another eye-catching name in the cast list for this movie is American actor Matthew Lillard who is known for his role in the iconic 1996 movie, Scream. Lillard is also recognized for his role as Shaggy in the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo film. His role in Five Nights at Freddy’s as William Afton, invites in older audiences who recognize Lillard as he revisits his stellar acting talents in horror and comedy. Director Emma Tammi also plays on this nostalgia to Lillard’s previous roles as she includes some easter eggs that give reference to Lillard’s role as Stu in Scream.
Overall, the box office success of the 2023 Five Nights at Freddy’s movie reflects it’s high value regarding story, cast and production quality. Viewers who were being introduced to the Freddy Fazbear horror story for the first time were able to achieve full understanding and enjoyment thanks to the story’s effective world-building and clear plot-line. Although some well-versed fans in Five Nights at Freddy’s lore may have felt that some parts of the story were left unclear or excluded all-together, there has been talk about a second film expanding on the world that the first film established. According to Tammi in a Variety interview on October 27, “We’re definitely excited to keep making more movies in this world, should we be lucky enough to do that” (Shanfeld, 2023). So be on the look out for another thrilling couple of nights at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria.