Roughly nine and half years ago, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” franchise began and hit mobile phones, laptops and game consoles everywhere. Over eight years later, on Oct. 27, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie hit the big screens in theaters internationally. Long-time fanatics have waited for this movie since its original announcement in 2015.
The movie was nothing short of exciting, dramatic, dark, creepy and still heartfelt. I grew up playing the games and have awaited the movie’s arrival since childhood. The movie was overall well-directed, the actors portrayed the characters wonderfully, and the plot was thrilling. I expected a lot going into the theater, especially since it took eight and a half years to produce. Overall, it was a great experience and was worth the wait.
It begins with Mike Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson, finding a new job as an overnight security guard at the abandoned family entertainment center, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. People admire Hutcherson for his role as Peeta Mellark in the “Hunger Games” series, and he just as well played the role of Mike as fans depicted. Mike is a quiet, laid-back, sarcastic guy with a younger sister, Abby. Everything he does is for her. Hutcherson does a great job acting as an overprotective older brother, just as fans would expect Mike to be.
The movie set was another appreciable aspect of the film. The first original game of the series surrounds the newly hired security guard, Mike. The game provides a fully detailed view of each separate area of the pizzeria, which the movie displays perfectly. The main dining and entertainment are spot on, with a perfect reenactment of the animatronics’ performance. From the security room to the small corridors, the set was spectacular and sparked nostalgia and eerie feelings.
If you went into the movie with a clear mind and no expectations, it was a magnificent film. The actors did a fantastic
job, the animatronics were flawless and the plot was incredible. Now, the movie is not a replica of the game series, as some parts are not shown or included in the film, and many would say it is missing its “scariness.” It is supposed to be a horror, mystery and thriller; however, the directors slacked on implementing those descriptions.
The best details of the movie lie within the animatronics and William Afton’s psychotic character. A leading part of the franchise is the missing children and robotic characters. Mike’s mission in life is to discover who took his younger brother and what happened to him. It shocked me to detect the connection of William Afton and learn the secret behind the business and animatronics.
It has been ages since I played the games, and I have forgotten many minor details. It was hard to grasp the psychological connections or completely understand the lure when I was younger. After watching the movie, however, I completely understood the deeper story and made many connections I was left dwelling on as a child.
All in all, the movie was good. I think the screenwriters could have done a better job at using the movie’s expected fear factor and actors to make it an overall better film. There are a lot of minute pieces and parts of the game series that they did not include in it, which could have made for a better film if they did. The movie focused heavily on the first game and the beginning of Mike’s security guard position, and I feel like it lacked depth in all the other aspects of the franchise. However, it did phenomenal work tying together all the hidden messages and easter eggs from the games since they do not straightforwardly explain the connections and secrets of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. I wish the other games had more of an impact on the movie, and I had hoped for more horror and thriller than psychological questioning and family drama.
