The highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy’s film was released on Oct. 27, 2023. The film was directed by Emma Tammi and starred Josh Hutcherson as its main character. According to the Google Review summary, this film was received very well by the audience, but not so well by critics. The Rotten Tomatoes tomato meter rated the film at 26%, while the audience meter came in at 88% approval.
Emma’s rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
My initial thoughts on this film were focused on the cinematography, plot, and production of the film. As someone who has never played the Five Nights at Freddy’s game, I had no expectations prior to viewing the film. The first scene gives the audience background while also foreshadowing the coming events of the movie. This scene grabbed my attention right away with its close-up shots and rushed feel while the security guard is trying to escape the unknown horrors of Freddy Fazbear’s arcade. This first scene really makes the audience feel the character’s anxiety – I was at the edge of my seat. The last moments of the scene are less anxious and more terrifying, leaving the audience with an uneasy feeling.
The rest of the film focuses on Josh Hutcherson’s character, Mike, and his mission to keep custody of his younger sister. The plot is much more interesting than I anticipated. There were many layers to Mike’s psyche which created a hyper-realistic feel to the film. As a storyteller, I appreciated the in-depth layers to the film’s plot; however, in my opinion, the actors chosen for the main roles were not successful in creating the proper emotional depth that this plot begs for. The mediocre acting is the main reason why I disliked this film.
In terms of production, I enjoyed the cinematography work of Lyn Moncrief on this film. He brought the story to life using emotionally charged shots of the characters, and horrifying sights of the animatronics.
Overall, this was a movie worth watching in theaters, especially if you are a Five Nights at Freddy’s fan. This film did an excellent job of evoking emotions of anxiety, horror, and disgust; and will leave you with the disturbing images of the haunted puppets, and an irrational fear of arcades. However, I feel that this film could have been excellent with some re-casting and tightening up the very detailed plot.
Phebe’s rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
While I also did not play the series of games, they are very popular in my household. My sister and all her friends have played the games around me for many years, and are all ecstatic at the news of the movie’s publication and the portrayal of a game many have come to know and love.
Not receiving an R-rating made this movie available to individual viewers thirteen and older. This can be an introduction to horror films for younger viewers, and we even get to see one of the most classic slasher villains reclaim a villain role: Matthew Lillard.
Lillard has impacted many generations with his wide range of acting abilities. While working on projects both catered to kids and more mature audiences, he is a familiar face and voice for many, whether it is from “Scooby Doo” as Shaggy Rogers, “Scream” as one of the original Ghostface killers, or “Good Girls” where he portrayed a character named Dean. As with his previous successes, he embodied the essence of the character to bring the manipulative, murderous William Afton to life.
Prior to the release of the movie in most theaters, the Jim Henson Creature Shop announced its partnership with the production crew to truly bring these animatronics to life. With long-time work on projects like “The Dark Crystal,” this shop is no stranger to bringing the abnormal to life. The emotions brought forward by the robot-controlled suits, or the wearable ones, were truly complex like that of any human being. The audience was even able to witness the wonders of playing children in suits despite their contrasting menacing appearance.
This film did a fantastic job of creating characters and the presence of spirits in the abandoned entertainment center. Each character has emotional complexities and backstories that are relevant to the story. However, it did seem as if there were critical scenes missing. It is unclear if they were cut, or not filmed at all, to avoid an R-rating. These filler scenes would round out the plot and give more depth to William Afton’s character prior to the reveal.
This is not to take away from the terrifying backstory of the animatronics as a whole or diminish a great psychological observation. Kids mimic and believe what they see or hear, which is made abundantly clear by the amount of communication done by drawing in the film.
In the case of Josh Hutcherson’s character Mike Schmidt, there were a few items I wish had been included with the gruesome memories we witnessed him having. I think research on post-traumatic stress disorder could have aided in all the flashbacks and dreams. Night terrors are common among those with high trauma and can cause other symptoms such as waking up drenched in sweat and unsure of if you are in a safe location.
Overall, I think the film was a good representation of the basis of a franchise that has grown such a large fanbase. It not only drew in fans of all ages but combined actors popular in many different generations to appeal to more audiences and make a film experience for fans to enjoy regardless of age.