Five Nights at Freddy's is a 2023 supernatural horror film directed by Emma Tammi from a screenplay she co-wrote with Scott Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback, based on the video game franchise of the same name created and developed by Cawthon.

The film was first announced in April 2015 with the involvement of Warner Bros. Pictures, and Gil Kenan made a deal to direct and co-write it. After several delays to begin production, Warner Bros. eventually put the project into turnaround and Kenan was no longer involved. In March 2017, it was announced that Blumhouse Productions would produce the film.

Mike Schmidt, a troubled security guard, starts a night-time job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a once-successful, but now generally abandoned family entertainment center, where he discovers its four animatronic mascots — Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie the Bunny, Chica the Chicken, and Foxy the Pirate Fox — move and kill anyone that is still there after midnight.

The cast includes Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Kat Conner Sterling, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Matthew Lillard.

Five Nights at Freddy's made its debut in theaters and streaming on Peacock on October 27th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

I should probably preface this review by pointing out the fact that prior to the announcement of this movie, I had little to no knowledge of the videogame franchise it was based on aside from hearing about it or maybe seeing an image at one point or another. I really had no clue what it was about aside from the fact that it included animatronic robots that to to be honest reminded me of the Chuck E. Cheese franchise that was part of my own personal childhood.

Either way, even with my lack of familiarity I still knew how much of a cult following the franchise had and was certain the film would rake in the money for that reason alone. As the release neared anticipation continued to build, and the the involvement of Blumhouse had me intrigued from the start either way so I was pretty excited for the opportunity to see how this latest video-game-to-film adaptation turned out. So, was Five Nights at Freddy’s a pleasant surprise or a corny mess disguising itself as a horror movie? Keep reading to find out!

I wouldn’t say that my expectations were high necessarily, but full disclosure I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It was honestly pretty good. Now it has lots of flaws which I will touch on later in the review, but above all else, it was entertaining, pretty creepy all things considered, and featured solid production value all things considered. They certainly could have gotten away with a no-name cast but starring Josh Hutcherson in the lead role was a smart move, and the supporting cast was fine as well. I really enjoyed the feel of the film and thought the technical elements were very solid, including some creepy visuals and a great score. I also felt like the cinematography was on point bringing Five Nights at Freddy’s to life.

As I said I have no real knowledge of the videogames so I was basically coming in from scratch as far as the story is concerned, aside from the obvious fact that I knew the film was centered around animatronics. I liked how the film opened and how they set the stage for the story. I felt invested from the start and quickly came to care for Hutcherson’s character and the trauma he suffered as a child. To be honest I didn’t expect as much depth to the story as the film had so that was a big plus for me.

I was also very impressed with how everything sort of came full circle, including a few big-time twists that I did not see coming. By the end of the film, I felt very satisfied, and I definitely got that fan service feel in terms of doing right by the fanbase and setting up more films. The story for Five Nights at Freddy’s was without a doubt a highlight for me.

Now I will touch on the cast which I thought was pretty good overall. I mentioned Josh Hutcherson in the lead role of Mike and I really liked him here. Hutcherson is a talented actor so they had a lot to work with having him as the focal point for the film. Plus considering his character is dealing with significant childhood trauma that he has carried with him throughout his life, it was important that his character was believable and I think he did the job. I liked Elizabeth Lail in her role as Vanessa, and not just because she is a beautiful blonde which is admittedly a weakness for me. I thought Lail was very solid in her role and turned out to be a very important character in the story.

Piper Rubio was far from perfect as Mike’s little sister Abby but the good outweighed the bad. She had a few missteps with forced dialogue but was never enough to really negatively impact the film, and she showed up when it mattered most. I always like seeing Matthew Lillard get a chance to play a decent role, and although he has a small part I definitely enjoyed him here. Overall I thought the cast was solid.

As far as the technical elements are concerned Five Nights at Freddy’s impressed me. First of all the film had a very clear identity and tone which I personally gravitated to, and I liked that it stuck with the same feel throughout. I can’t speak to how much the music and the overall score stayed true to the games, but I thought the composers, The Newton Brothers, did a fantastic job. Talk about a couple of guys who are red hot right now, they just worked on two brand new horror series including Goosebumps and The Fall of the House of Usher. Five Nights at Freddy’s maintained a creepy and dark feel throughout thanks to their hard work, and it was easily one of my favorite elements of the film.

I also thought cinematographer Lyn Moncrief did really well here and helped to keep that same feel and create an immersive film. I also thought the visuals and the effects with the animatronics were fantastic. I may sound like a little pansy ass saying this but for the most part, I thought they were pretty creepy as far as their moments and just how they interacted with the characters. Plus as I said I grew up with Chuck E. Cheese and full disclosure I never trusted that damn mouse and his ragtag band of misfits. I always knew they were up to something behind closed doors.

THE BAD

Five Nights at Freddy’s is far from perfect, but that doesn’t keep it from being a really entertaining movie. Now I think we can all agree that nobody really expected critics to love this movie, because at the end of the day, it wasn’t for them, it was for the fans. They were clearly more concerned with satisfying their fanbase than they were with making a great movie, and that is how it should be. It honestly reminds me of the 2009 film, Friday the 13th, which as a fan of the franchise I loved, and critics widely despised. Now I can’t go into detail considering as I have already said I’m not super familiar with the games, but Five Nights at Freddy’s just felt like a film that was intentionally crafting a fan-friendly experience, and I am glad they did.

Now I will point out that the story had quite a few annoying inconsistencies and at times the dialogue was just plain bad, but at the end of the day it didn’t really impact the final product and for me, that is what matters most. Plus I definitely wouldn’t say this movie is scary which is a bummer for a hardcore horror fan like myself, but it is creepy and creative enough to where it didn’t bother me as much as it probably could have. I’ve seen people talk about how this movie is geared more towards kids which I personally found interesting because when I read that I figured it would be corny, but let me just say Five Nights at Freddy’s is pretty messed up and I probably wouldn’t have my kids watching it unless they enjoy having nightmares.

THE VERDICT

Although plagued by inconsistent story and bad dialogue at times and surely traumatizing to those who grew up fans of the Chuck E. Cheese franchise, Five Nights at Freddy’s is a creepy and overall enjoyable experience that wisely caters to a diehard fanbase. I was pleasantly impressed is really all I can say and I may even go as far as checking out the videogames, but I will definitely be watching the next of what I would say is an inevitable film franchise in the making. So yeah, if you have any interest in seeing this movie ignore all of the hate from critics and check it out for yourself.