From a small indie video game with no intention of being popular to a multimillion-dollar franchise, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (F.N.A.F) Universe finally has a film.
The movie has been highly anticipated by fans across the globe, and I had the pleasure of watching it in the theater.
I was excited about the release of this movie because I have followed the franchise since the original game was released in 2014. However, because of the success of the original games, the movie had a lot to live up to.
Expectations started off high when I heard Josh Hutcherson was starring as the main character. His rendition of the main protagonist, Mike Schmidt, did not disappoint.
One important aspect of the movie that the filmmakers nailed was the ambiance. It was unsettling and creepy, but also nostalgic and wholesome at the same time.
They did a good job of making the pizzeria feel stuck in time with the 80s-style decorations, and the characters looked exactly how they did in the original game.
Without the similarities, the movie wouldn’t have been as successful. The eerie feeling that the characters give off is the reason the game became popular. This includes their glowing eyes, dirty fur and endoskeletons peeking through their fur suits.
The original game had the use of cameras as the main function to keep track of the animatronics. I was disappointed the cameras weren’t as prominent in the film as they were in the game because that’s what made it stand out from all other horror games at the time.
As for the story itself, I appreciate the producers using the original plot of the game to the best of their ability instead of creating a new storyline for the movie.
The movie follows Schmidt at his new job as the security guard at the shutdown funplex, Freddy Fazbear’s.
Without giving too many spoilers, the animatronics take an interest in Schmidt’s little sister, Abby. In the game’s original story, Abby is not a character, but I thought that it fit well into the film version.
Being attacked in your dreams is not a new concept, but I like that the producers used it as a way to build the plot in the movie.
It wouldn’t be F.N.A.F without a plot twist, and the producers made sure to include one.
Translating a game into a movie is something new we have seen in the last couple of years. I knew it would be difficult to translate the original F.N.A.F. game onto the screen because the story had already been established in a set time frame. However, the filmmakers were successful.
If zero is “Sharknado” and ten is “Hereditary,” I rate F.N.A.F. eight out of 10 on the horror movie scale.
I thought it could be scarier, but the movie was still eerie. Although, I found F.N.A.F. more charming than anything else.
The producers created a feeling of empathy towards the demonic animatronics through the tragic backstory and relationships the ghosts form with Abby.
I’m not one to watch movies twice, but I would pay the outrageous price they charge for movie tickets to see it again.
