I don't care what critics say – I enjoyed the new Five Nights at Freddy's movie.
I grew up watching horror playthroughs. One of the first games I ever watched someone else play on YouTube was Telltale’s The Walking Dead. The video game later got me interested in watching the TV show, The Walking Dead until its emotional finale. But from that first playthrough, I started to become fascinated with horror games, and as my love for horror movies and TV shows grew, so did my obsession with horror games and the playthroughs that would come from YouTubers.Regardless, Five Nights at Freddy's was one of those games that I watched many YouTubers play. And I wound up playing it on several occasions, from the first to the 2021 release of Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach (as buggy as it was). And when I found out there would be a Five Nights at Freddy's movie, I freaked out.
I kept up with every FNAF trailer and every update, and when it was finally released, I went out to see it. And yes, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will explain my reaction– and why it's alright that critics might not have liked it. Although for me, it was perfect.
Josh Hutcherson Killed It In The Main Role
Everyone says they're back in their Josh Hutcherson-loving era, but I never left it. I've been there since The Hunger Games movies and will always love this man. But him in horror movies is a version that I didn't expect to love so much.
If you don't know that much about the Five Nights at Freddy's games, here is what to know.
I didn't think I'd end up loving him in this film as much as I did, but he genuinely did stand out. From the opening scenes, to his dream sequences to the final moments, he was a fantastic lead star in this film and carried the Five Nights at Freddy's cast, and I would fully watch another movie that included him in it.
It was also great that this was one of his first movies on the big screen in a while, and the film itself had a great box office opening weekend, so we'll be seeing a lot more of Hutcherson.
The Story Lines Up With What A FNAF Narrative Would Be
Is the story messy? Maybe a little ,because it's not really explained for people who need help understanding the games. But for me, as someone who has played all the fun and watched so many lore videos on this franchise, this story lines up with what you would expect.
I remember how often we would get updates regarding this film that it was made for the fans, and I see that entirely with how everything was staged in this story. I knew everything was coming – and maybe that's why I enjoyed the narrative more than others, hence why I do think this film was made purely for fans of the franchise.
It can be a bad thing, too. It's a big reason why several critics weren't big fans of the film: because the plot was all over the place. For franchise fans, however, we understood it all too well.
So What If There Weren’t That Many Security Cameras – Who Wants To Stare At Them For An Hour And A Half Straight?
In my mind, one of the main issues many people had with Five Nights at Freddy's was that it lacked the security camera jumpscares that made the original games so famous.
And so what? Seriously, so, freaking, what?
Who wants to stare at a movie screen for an hour and a half and wait to be scared? Think of the best horror movies of all time – Halloween, Hereditary, Aliens, etc. – all of those have slow-building plots that evolve into an eventful climax full of scares. And I think many people believed that Josh Hutcherson's character, Mike, would just be staring at a security screen for the whole hour and a half of the movie for an animatronic to pop up.
This isn't a video game. There are plenty of fantastic horror games that can become movies or TV shows, but they are always adapted in a different way that fits what the franchise is about. And the way they adapted FNAF works for me.
And The Jump Scares Were Still Plentiful
While I think there could have been more jumpscares overall, there were still plenty to enjoy in the Five Nights movie – and most were done well.
I'm not even a massive fan of jumpscares. Even as someone who does love FNAF, I'll even admit I find them cheap hits of thrill. But from the ones that were in the movie, I had a good time – especially anything involving that damn cupcake.
And The Kills Were Decent Enough For A PG-13 Movie
I knew going into this that the kills wouldn't be intense. Another PG-13 horror movie released in 2023 was the film M3GAN, which didn’t impress me, and one of my biggest complaints was that it didn't feel gory enough.
But I think for Five Nights at Freddy's, the PG-13 rating worked because the franchise is catered more towards children. And while they enjoy horror, I'm not sure how many parents would let their kids see an FNAF movie with A Nightmare on Elm Street-gore level, where it could compete with Freddy Krueger's kills.
Honestly, I enjoyed the kills that were there – and the amount of blood. It fits the vibe of the movie and the game – which, truthfully, aren't that bloody at all.
The Amount Of Easter Eggs Were Great For A Long-Time Fan
Was that the bite of 87????
The easter eggs in this movie for fans to enjoy were just great. The references, the character names – heck, even somewhere, including Vanessa, a character from FNAF: Security Breach – as one of the side characters in this, was a standout moment for me. The amount of dedication from hardcore fans was there.
Also, yes, I laughed super hard when I saw MatPat from Game Theory in the movie, the theory master of FNAF himself. I think my whole theater screamed.
All In All, I Enjoyed It, Because The Movie Was Made For Fans Of The Games – Not A General Audience
The biggest thing about the Five Nights at Freddy's movie was that this film was not made for a general audience. This film was made for fans, by fans. They're people who wanted to please a fandom as intense as the FNAF one.
I can understand why critics don't enjoy this film. Some might not get the lore or the idea behind the franchise or even all the easter eggs that come with it. But people like me? We get it. We understand it and more. And when there will be a Five Nights at Freddy's sequel – because trust me, there will be – fans will see that too.
I don't know if that movie will cater more towards a general audience instead of this one, but I'll still be there to enjoy it – and see William Afton come back again and again, even if the lore of the games was all over the place in this movie.
What did you think of Five Nights at Freddy's? That audience vs. critics score is something else, and there's a divide between what people like and dislike about this film. Regardless, I think it's time to shift gears into the next horror movie – it's time to check out all the upcoming horror movies coming out so I can get even spookier.
