On October 27, Blumhouse Productions released Five Nights at Freddy’s, a movie adaptation of the classic video game by Scott Cawthon. The main story centers around a night guard at a derelict pizzeria, and he and his young sister must uncover the horrific story behind the establishment’s iconic animatronics. Overall, the movie is a faithful adaptation of the original games, but it could still improve on building a creepy, interesting plot.
The Animatronics
One of the movie’s greatest strengths is its animatronic characters, including the titular Freddy Fazbear. Rather than using CGI, practical, remote-controlled animatronics were built by special effects company Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and the extra effort put in clearly pays off. The animatronics all feel incredibly real and detailed, and this helps immerse the viewer in the movie experience.
In addition, the movie focuses more on the human side of the animatronic characters, rather than just portraying them as unthinking monsters. While this portrayal shies away from the more one-dimensional characters in the original game, it still adds an interesting and disturbing layer to the movie.
Video Game References
Another strength of this film is its accuracy and devotion to the source material. For example, the movie’s pizzeria is very faithful to the original restaurant in the game. Although the movie does take some creative liberties, the pizzeria has several details ripped straight from the game, from children’s drawings pinned to the walls to the iconic retro poster in the security office. Several fan-favorite characters also appear, and one of the franchise’s most iconic quotes makes a return. Despite the number of references to the original games, the movie still manages to strike a decent balance between indulging nostalgia and telling a unique story.
Storytelling
However, one thing the movie struggles with is its plot. Many of the film’s plot points and character decisions are fairly predictable, and the major plot twist near the end of the movie is not as impactful as it could have been. Most of these issues are likely due to the franchise’s popularity, as it would be very difficult to write a meaningful plot twist while also keeping true to a story that many viewers have already seen. The movie does attempt to change some plot details in order to add variety, but the main story of the movie is still predictable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Five Nights at Freddy’s is a fun movie with excellent balance between nostalgia and cinematic spectacle. It has some issues with a stale plot, but it is nonetheless a good film for long-time fans and newcomers alike.
