Five Nights at Freddy’s2023

Plot:

Recently fired and desperate for work so that he can keep custody of his little sister (Robie), Mike (Hutcherson) agrees to take a position as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant: Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. But Mike soon discovers that nothing at Freddy’s is what it seems. Mike’s nights at Freddy’s will lead him into unexplainable encounters with the supernatural and drag him into the black heart of an unspeakable nightmare.

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The story could have easily gotten an R rating – but the filmmakers were obviously aiming for a younger crowd.

When looking for a new horror movie to watch (this is October after all), I stumbled across Five Nights at Freddy’s.   For those of you that don’t know, it’s based on a video game series that younger kids like.  It’s got a horror element, but it seemed like harmless creep – the thing that pre-teens would get a quick scare out of, not something that would haunt their dreams.  Still, I figured I’d give it a shot.  Would it turn out to be a movie to scare grownups, or is this still just strictly kiddie stuff?

There are a few familiar faces in Five Nights at Freddy’s.  Whether they be Mary Stuart Masterson (who has barely aged at all), Josh Hutcherson (from The Hunger Games, who still looks too young for his scruff), or Matthew Lillard (who has aged quite a bit since Scooby-Doo), there’s a chance viewers will recognize someone.  They all do decent jobs (especially with how little they get to work with), as do less familiar faces like Elizabeth Leil and Piper Rubio.

The storyline is okay.  Basically, it’s combining the haunted house trope (now a decrepit Chuck E. Cheese’s-style family restaurant) with a possession vibe (the animatronics come to life).  That’s an interesting concept, and the writers (which include the creator of the video game series, Scott Cawthon) do a good job of setting things up at Freddy’s.  Unfortunately, the rest of the characters don’t seem as fleshed out (basically just fronts themselves, with a paragraph or two about their odd situation), and there are lots of unanswered questions by the end of the film.

The biggest problem with Five Nights at Freddy’s, though, is the movie seems like it should be scarier than it actually is.  The gore is greatly muted (there are a few horrendous mutilations, but they aren’t really shown in detail).  It’s almost like the filmmakers were trying to make a horror movie – but for kids.  It’s more reminiscent of Goosebumps or something like that, where, despite the much more intense subject matter, it tries to veer away from the dark more often than not (a midway sequence shows everyone laughing and playing around, an odd contrast with the killings that occurred not much prior). 

The special effects are the biggest redeeming quality to Five Nights at Freddy’s.  While the animatronics sort of look like Muppets gone bananas, their clunky movement is both freaky and entertaining.  It’s a great to see them switch from plain animatronics without expression to animated dolls, and the viewer will easily be able to distinguish between the two states.

Five Nights at Freddy’s has potential.  With a decent cast and a storyline that lends itself easily to horror, it seems, on paper, like this would be a scary film.  Unfortunately, it’s apparent that kids are the main audience, so, while there are some sequences that could be frightening, the film quickly tries to lighten the mood. 

If you’re going in looking for a film along the lines of a Saw or something of that kind (as the story seems to suggest), you’ll be surprised by how nearly bloodless the film is.  Still, keep the kids away, as the subject matter – in spite of the overall tone of the film – is pretty dark, and there are some sequences kids will find disturbing.

MPAA Rating

    PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images and language.

Crew

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