There has never been a more highly niche movie that has been waited for so long other than the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie. Officially released on Friday, Oct. 27, fans of the game had high expectations of the film, to say the least, with nerves running high as they entered theaters.
That is what happened to me, at the very least, as I walked into the Lawson Theater at 10 p.m. that Friday night. I’ve been a big fan of the franchise since 2014 when it released, watching YouTubers over and over again getting jump-scared by the same silly images. I even had a birthday party themed around it, with spooky decorations put up all across the house, a Five Nights at Freddy’s cake, and my face fully blued out to look like Bonnie from the games. Nervous was an understatement as I sat down with my closest friends, surrounded by snacks and drinks.
From the first shot of the building, I knew everything was going to be okay. The beautiful recreation of the building, with the incredible attention to detail, showed clearly that this was a labor of love, not just another cash grab movie. The set design and the animatronic designs are truly amazing, making the pizzeria feel as eerie as uncomfortable as it did in the games.
The plot followed Josh Hutcherson as the night security guard that you play as in the games, who has to make it through the nights while fending off the haunted animatronics, including Bonnie the Bunny, Chica the Chicken, Foxy the Fox, and Freddy Fazbear himself. This simple premise was saved in the movie, and expanded upon to create an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable story surrounding Hutcherson’s character, Mike, and his younger sister, Abby, played by Piper Rubio. They both deliver a gripping performance, along with Elizabeth Lail, who played Vanessa, a police officer who is a lot more involved in everything than she seems to be.
The film’s light design is another standout feature of the movie, with the playful lighting in the pizzeria meshing with the eerie building design to create a unique experience visually. The use of sound design cannot be ignored either, with the use of silence, jump scares, mechanical whirs, and an expertly crafted set list setting the scene perfectly. As someone who’s favorite thing about the games was the atmosphere, I was pleasantly surprised with the movie’s setting.
Other fans of the film will appreciate the attention to detail and the expansion on the lore of the games, while newer fans or viewers can appreciate the simple but startling story told in the movie.
In conclusion, Five Nights at Freddy’s successfully draws in viewers with stellar performances, and a story that provides an absolute must-see for fans and newcomers alike. Blumhouse and Scott Cawthon’s work on this film will set a new standard for video game adaptations in the future, and hopefully they will expand on this world they’ve masterfully crafted.
Bea Bourland is a second-year biology and environmental science major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
