For eight years, Scott Cawthon had the internet in a virtual chokehold since 2014 with the horror video game phenomenon that is Five Nights at Freddy's. Fans around the world faced jump-scare after jump-scare, watching YouTuber Let's Plays uncover the mysteries of Fazbear's Pizzeria, indie video-game developers getting their start-up on fan-made projects, voice actors, cosplayers, and animators reimagining the game through the power of art and media, and music producers finally getting their shot on the big screen, all eagerly awaited the long-ago teased movie to finally immortalize one of the biggest fan bases on the planet on the big screen.
Blumhouse & Universal Studios ended the month of October with a long-awaited masterpiece, while fully maintaining the eeriness of the game, as no other than Cawthon could capture.
After losing his security job at the mall, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutchinson, District 12's 75th Annual Hunger Games candidate Peeta Mellark) lands a job at Fazbear's Pizzeria, where he soon learns the job may not be what it seems, as he now has to survive...Five Nights at Freddy's.
Seeing the diner reimagined with the help of Universal gave the entire film the right atmosphere it needed to hit home. The animatronics, courtesy of Jim Henson's Puppet Workshop, looked amazing in terms of scaling and details. Seeing Freddy tower over the security guard had me scared all over again like I was in middle school. While the plot does deviate from the game's storyline, I liked that. It gives new viewers a chance to see the world of FNAF through a new lens, while old fans get to dive into a new world of lore and secrets.
Given the fact that it was PG-13, it was 'family friendly' to a point, leaving out a lot of the gore the game foreshadowed. However, as the game itself is stationary (sitting in an office) with the story being fed through phone calls and secrets, I feel it captured the perfect balance of horror and fun. The game itself had a lot of dark and twisted themes. If they had gone for the R rating for the fans, it wouldn't have reached the younger fanbase, which it initially did. While some may not like the film for the plot not directly aligned with the game, the new story gives new fans the chance to dive in without having to know any background.
As now the biggest video game movie in history, I can safely say that this movie served its purpose well for the fans. As a horror film, the game's horror was objective in itself. All in all, I was more than honored to see my childhood encapsulated on the big screen. With a Halloween Horror Nights Attraction coming soon, I am more than glad to say I have survived Five Nights at Freddy's