Enjoyable Video Game Adaptation Five Night’s at Freddy’s Worst Sin is Its Forgettability

Title: Five Nights at Freddy’s

First Non-Festival Release: October 25, 2023 (Theatrical Release)

Director: Emma Tammi

Writer: Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, Emma Tammi

Runtime: 109 Minutes

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

Scrounging for any work he can possibly find, Mike (Josh Hutcherson) manages to land a job as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza thanks to his career counselor, Steve (Matthew Lillard). The place seems abandoned, but the gig pays enough to keep him and his little sister Abby (Piper Rubio) afloat. While the nights are lonely, he is sometimes visited by a policewoman (Elizabeth Lail) who has a habit of checking in on the place due to its security needs. Mike soon learns that there is more than what meets the eye to the seemingly broken-down animatronic characters that occupy the restaurant’s central stage.

Largely fine gateway horror, Five Nights at Freddy’s stretches its runtime too thin with fan service and aimless subplots.

Getting lost in its jumbled plot, Five Nights at Freddy’s doesn’t know how to effectively sequence its story. With a lore as expansive as this wildly popular children’s video game series, it’s no surprise that the creative team behind this Blumhouse horror fought to fit in as much of it as possible. Aimed squarely at teenagers who grew up with the games, Five Nights at Freddy’s crams in as many call ins and inside jokes as it can to establish a foundation of goodwill with the crowd. Unfortunately, it ends up screwing up the pacing of the film and subjecting the unfamiliar to eye rolling exposition dumps and explanations.

Inoffensive scares that rely heavily on suggestion will test the patience of older audience members and those unaware of the lore. Hampered by its PG-13 rating, most of the scares equate to those out of a funhouse. Popping in and out at suddenly large volumes, the animatronics never feel like a full threat. The few humans they do capture are subject to off-screen violence that lacks sufficient punch. It’s not difficult to see why these choices are made, but it still rings disappointing when many of the resulting scares are rather toothless.

Its strong cast, including Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, and Elizabeth Lail deliver serviceable performances but fail to make an impact. Leading man Hutcherson does his best to convey the everyman hero needed to sell the film, but his sleepiness comes from more than just the late-night security guard hours. While never phoning it in, it is clear there is a disconnect with the emotional elements of his character’s past and the silliness of the film. Lail experiences similar issues, as she does her best to project the steeliness of a police officer with a dark past. Truly, the only one shining is Lillard, who seems delighted to get the chance to play up his comedic chops in a teen horror film once again.

The real winner in this gateway horror film comes from its exceptional animatronic designs, which balance creepiness with features that look like kids would still benignly fall in love with them. Bright colors and rather soft features are emphasized against the steely cool aura of their machinery. When playing with Abby, the animatronics exude the youthful joy of life while operating a much more sinister tone when alone with an adult. They manage to be cohesive as a unit while exhibiting personality in the rare moments they are alone onscreen or with an adult. 

At the end of the day, you know exactly what you are signing up for when sitting down to watch Five Nights at Freddy’s. A popcorn film to its core, there is nothing here to suggest a desire to be anything more than a medium to cash in on a popular internet sensation with a demographic that is hard to understand. Stale scares, uninspiring performances, and dizzying world building will leave non-fans scratching their heads, but ultimately Five Nights at Freddy’s is a passable gateway horror that does exactly what it sets out to do. You can’t fault Blumhouse for playing a game they know they’d win, just know what you are getting into before you agree to spend a night watching.

Overall Score? 6/10