Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie Review - Missed Jump Scares and Opportunities

Hey there, fellow movie buffs and Five Nights at Freddy’s enthusiasts! So, you’ve heard the big news – the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie has made its way to the big screen and is now available on Peacock. A big-screen adaptation of this iconic game, what could possibly go wrong? Well, let’s dive right in and explore the intriguing journey of this adaptation.

Confession Time

Before we unravel this tale, let’s get something out of the way – I’ve never played Five Nights at Freddy’s. But fret not, I’m well aware of its gameplay mechanics, the spooky animatronic characters, and its immense popularity. So, even though I haven’t played it, I can still navigate through this dark, animatronic-filled world.

The Plot Unleashed

The movie introduces us to a character named Mike, played by Josh Hutcherson. He’s dealing with a family legal battle for custody of his younger sister while carrying the weight of guilt from a childhood kidnapping incident. To top it all off, he lands a night shift security job at Freddy Fazbear’s – a condemned Chuck-E-Cheese-like family fun center teeming with possessed killer animatronic creatures.

A Glimpse of Awesomeness

Let’s start with the good stuff – there’s a scene in the movie (bear in mind, the film is PG-13) where people break into Freddy Fazbear’s during the daytime. These animatronics deal with the intruders in an unexpectedly awesome way, resulting in a scene you won’t forget anytime soon. This moment is a standout and would have been a great addition to an R-rated film. Speaking of which, this movie could have benefited from an R-rating and a dose of gore. It’s Five Nights at Freddy’s, after all!

A Night That Feels Like Five Days

Five Nights at Freddy’s, as a game, is designed around a one-night premise. However, when translating this into a cinematic experience, the concept becomes tricky. The movie drags on for an hour and 40 minutes, with stretches of dull character development that feels inconsequential. It could have been more concise, possibly a solid 15-minute fan film.

Mismatched and Odd Moments

During its runtime, the film throws at us an array of weird sequences and unnecessary characters. There are dream sequences that feel out of place, making you wonder if they belong in a Five Nights at Freddy’s movie.

Can We Talk Like Normal People?

A strange feeling permeates the movie, as the characters’ dialogue often sounds more appropriate for a satirical horror film rather than a thriller. Matthew Lillard, in his limited screen time, does provide some comic relief, but the overall vibe is far from what you’d expect in a horror flick.

A Missed Opportunity

In the end, the movie feels like an absurdly predictable mix of family drama, child trauma, occasional slasher moments, and sporadic kind animatronic scenes. It’s a disappointing experience that lacks cohesion. As a horror movie, it fails to induce fear or chills.

Lackluster and Unfulfilling

Regrettably, the movie doesn’t do justice to the lore of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Many fans were excited about the adaptation but have been left with a subpar film. It fails to live up to the anticipation and delivers a snooze-fest that you can predict from a mile away.

Not a Game-Changer

For fans of the game, this adaptation might hold a few Easter eggs and references, but when viewed as a stand-alone movie, it’s disappointingly generic. The film ends up falling into the trap of many video game adaptations – it simply doesn’t live up to its source material.

So, there you have it. The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment. But isn’t that a common tale when Hollywood adapts a beloved video game? Let’s hope the next adaptation can break the curse.