The Five Nights at Freddy’s video game franchise has spooked players for roughly 9 years, and now there’s a live action film to add to the nightmares. Does the highly-anticipated movie meet the expectations of folks who have played every game and read every book, or should this film have bombed on the first night?

Spoilers for Five Nights at Freddy’s are below.

The Good

The animatronics in the movie, which are designed by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, look absolutely incredible. They replicate the look and feel of the Chuck E. Cheese’s-like characters from the game while capturing their personalities and emotions. Their movements are truly lifelike and their fuzzy exterior is actually quite noticeable on screen. Where Five Nights at Freddy’s is all about these animatronic animals, they need to look good in the live action movie, and they exceed any expectations.

There are shots recreated from the games and countless elements that are adapted perfectly that diehard fans are sure to enjoy. From the layout of the rooms to the security cameras, the filmmakers did a brilliant job fully bringing the game to life, which is pretty impressive. There’s no shortage of easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans to spot, which is a rather fun way to celebrate the popular franchise. That being said, the movie still manages to be accessible to newcomers as well, which is important for maximizing the film’s audience.

This may not be the scariest horror flick out there, but it is quite creepy. Seeing one of the killer animatronics lurking in the doorway or hearing them crawl through the air vent is quite chilling. That, paired with how intimidating the animatronics feel, the fact that dead children play an important role in the story, and an overall eerie atmosphere, the creepiness the games are known for carries over quite well.

The PG-13 rating is used to its fullest. It’s not a bloodbath, but there’s a fair amount of bloodshed with folks being sliced up and bitten and half. There are some shocking and jaw-dropping kills for an adaptation of a jumpscare-centered game. It further adds to how threatening these animatronics are.

The story does just enough to get the audience to care for its protagonist, Mike. As the movie progresses, it’s hard not to find yourself hoping that Mike figures out what happened to his little brother and that he can gain some redemption by rescuing his little sister. Caring about the character in such a way helps with the audience’s immersion, and it’s done well-enough here.

The Bad

The pacing of the film is noticeably rough. It’s far too slow at first, then things pick up pretty well, then it turns too lighthearted for a horror movie, then slows down again, then finishes up quite well. It’s so oddly-paced for a horror-comedy based on a suspenseful video game. There shouldn’t be as many slow moments.

Vanessa, the cop character, is infuriating. She’s essentially an expert on everything going on at Freddy Fazbear’s, but decides not to tell Mike anything about it. When she does change her mind and give him important information, she’s extremely vague. On top of that, she knows that her father is a child murderer and doesn’t arrest him or tell other police officers. He continues to harm people and she just lets him. She’s very frustrating to deal with throughout the film.

The animatronics come to life because of the souls and bodies of the children who are trapped inside them. This is accurate to the source material, but how is there a human body inside the little cupcake guy? If it’s just a kid’s head, where is their body? Also, Balloon Boy is never fully explained. At first, he seems like he’s just an action figure, but the mid-credits scene indicates that he may actually be alive like the animatronics. There’s no way someone’s body could fit inside that tiny figurine. This is very minor, but it’s a questionable explanation if the kids’ bodies are in the characters and not just their souls.

There’s a scene in which we see Freddy do some traveling outside of the restaurant. This scene depicts him with damaged features, like a broken ear and eye. Not only are these injuries not explained in the movie, but he’s healed again in the next scene. It’s very odd, and indicates that scenes were maybe meant to be in a different order and the editors made some big mistakes.

The whole point of the Five Nights at Freddy’s video games is to survive five nights filled with fighting for your life. The movie has Mike work there for five nights, but is only in any danger for one or two of them. This doesn’t hurt the movie too much outside of further adding to the pacing issue, but it is a bit of a let down for those looking for five nights of frights.

Conclusion

Movies like Hocus Pocus are perfect spooky viewing for kids and movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street are more suited for older audiences, but Five Nights at Freddy’s rules the roost for young teens. Of course, it’s also just as enjoyable for older folks too. The film does suffer from rather sloppy mistakes here and there, but it does a fantastic job bringing the elements of the games to life while providing a fun spooky time. Diehard fans and newcomers alike are sure to be at least somewhat entertained, and a potential sequel is worth being excited for.

Rating: 7/10

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