Film Review: Five Nights At Freddy’s

NOTE: While the WGA strike is officially over, as of me writing this, SAG-AFTRA is still on strike, demanding fair wages, better working conditions, protection from AI, among many other important issues that face actors, as well as other sections of the entertainment industry. I am in full support of the strike, and I encourage you to read about it, spread word, and if possible, consider donating to the Entertainment Community Fund, which helps financially struggling artists and workers in the film and television industry. Thank you.

As someone who has not played any of the games within the nearly decade-long running Five Nights At Freddy’s franchise, the experience of watching this film adaptation was quite interesting. Some in good ways, some in…well, not so good ways. It’s directed by Emma Tammi, whose debut film, The Wind, was one I quite liked, and one that is very much not the vibe you would expect from someone now tackling something as inherently schlocky as this. She also had a hand in the screenplay along with co-writers Scott Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback, releasing the film under the Blumhouse banner.

The film follows Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), a down-on-his-luck security guard who recently lost his gig at the mall, and is now facing the potential loss of custody of his young sister, Abby (Piper Rubio). In an attempt to save face, he accepts a job offer from his career counselor Steve (Matthew Lillard), which involves keeping an eye on the now defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza during the nights. It’s hardly an ideal gig, but he accepts the role, which goes reasonably well enough. That is, until he starts to realize that the infamous animatronics of the establishment might have more going on with them than meets the eye.

The big issue with the film is that it’s a constant battle between two very different movies. Movie one is of course, classic Five Nights At Freddy’s shenanigans with all the creepy animatronics, which is full of Easter eggs (I would assume) and nods to the game that fans will enjoy. Movie two is something far more odd, and for me, far more interesting. It’s about Mike’s experience with survivor’s guilt, being so haunted by the memory of watching his younger brother get kidnapped, never to be seen again, that he now devotes his sleep time to try and regain additional details through lucid dreaming, hoping it might provide some closure as to what happened. Even if that can sometimes cause a rift between him and Abby, especially as their Aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson) looms closer as a threat to take Abby away.

So, the film is a constant pull between typical teen horror schlock and something that is far more meditative, patient, more of an internal exploration of a character as opposed to external. In other words, very much in line with Tammi’s prior work. It’s even reflected in the performances. Josh Hutcherson is quite good here, but he’s so internal and reserved and understated that it clashes when he is doing anything involving the killer animatronics. It’s a very strange disconnect that otherwise doesn’t show up in performers like Lillard, or Elizabeth Lail, who plays Vanessa, a police officer who knows quite a bit about the establishment, both of whom are very much in tune with the ridiculous nature of the property.

When it comes to actual Freddy stuff proper, it’s mostly solid, if a bit half-hearted with its scares. Where it doesn’t skimp is the production design and costumes. From what I have seen of the game online, it captures the vibe perfectly, and the puppets created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop are all terrific. The film is captured rather handsomely by cinematographer Lyn Moncrief, the score from the Newton Brothers provides a decent soundscape for the film. It’s by no means a poorly made film, but a lot of these segments feel more obligatory than anything else.

Five Nights At Freddy’s is by all accounts a bit past its due, given it doesn’t quite have the grip on the gaming community that it did back when the first game really popped off. It’s definitely late to the party. But even if this movie came out within a reasonable time frame, I think it still would be an oddity. There seems to be a conflicting focus, between the more character driven, psychological journey with Mike and the schlocky kills and jump scares that define a lot of the actual Freddy stuff. It makes the movie an interesting watch, but not necessarily a great one. It evens out to something that’s perfectly fine, even if it’s a bit on the disposable side of things. There is some commendable work on the production, and that is certainly worth highlighting, but at the end of the day, I think most people would rather just play the game.

Five Nights At Freddy’s is now playing in theaters and streaming exclusively on Peacock.