By Julia Kawka | November 6, 2023
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
After years of heavy anticipation, the Five Nights at Freddy’s fandom finally got their moment on the big screen.
The franchise began as a simple indie game in 2014. The iconic “Game Theory” series by YouTuber, MatPat, and entertaining game plays by other video game streamers such as Markiplier and CoryxKenshin, made Five Nights at Freddy’s into something of a masterpiece with a deep, complex lore, passionately explored by streamers and their audience alike.
Video game developer, Scott Cawthon, worked hand in hand with the Blum House Productions to deliver the film to restless fans after eight long years. Multiple games and novels by Cawthon later, this Halloween, the movie was released in theaters.
After waiting since 2014, I was sitting in the theater, popcorn in hand, watching the film the whole fanbase has been wishing for eight years. For those growing up loving the franchise, the film really did justice for the anticipating fans.
From the performance of the iconic animatronics, the famous dialogue of the main antagonist, William Afton, the humming of the beloved animatronic Foxy, and of course the surprise cameos of the beloved YouTubers who dedicated hours upon hours to solving the mysteries of the convoluted timeline of the game the movie delivered.
Fans felt like the little kids playing as the security guard in the very first game again, overjoyed every second of looking up at the big screen.
The PG-13 rating of the movie was debated and left some disappointed, but it displays the care directed towards fans of all ages being able to enjoy the movie experience at the cinema. The amount of gore present in the movie was ideal and accurate to how the gameplay experience is with more implied violence than purely gore. I find that not overusing violence really allows you to appreciate the movie and at the moments where violence does take place really makes an impact, enhancing the experience all the more.
Not only was the film accurate to the actual gameplay with implied violence rather than the gore some expected, but the interactivity of the theater was also amazing with everyone cheering when a well-loved character came on the screen for the first time. The costume design, the cast, and the film overall was evidently filled with effort. Scott Cawthon’s main role in directing the film shows as the movie was clearly made with the fans of the franchise in mind.
Scott Cawthon directed a film with complete knowledge and inclusion of the aspects he knew fans would go crazy over upon viewing the film for the first time. There was an ideal balance of jump scares, violence, comedy, fun easter eggs teasing a possible sequel, and the iconic authenticity of the game so many of us grew up playing. Ending on a high note, the fan favorite “Five Nights at Freddy’s” by The Living Tombstone played as the credits rolled.
Although the Rotten Tomatoes score by critics stood at a low of 29% at one point, the Five Nights at Freddy’s fan base showed its strength with a 88% audience score. The FNAF fanbase is not one to underestimate, completely blowing the critics’ opinions out of the water with their support for the movie.
I have to say that as a fan of Five Nights at Freddy’s since I was a little kid, this was a dream come true and the film was not by any means a disappointment. The cinematic experience truly targeted the hearts of the fans and I am really looking forward to the continuation of the film series of the game and story that holds a special place in so many hearts.
I highly recommend watching this movie, which, in addition to theaters, is available on Peacock to stream, it is such a fun watch and was a perfect gift for Halloween of 2023.
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