Movie Nights at Freddy’s

I was eight when this movie was announced, I was seventeen when I was able to watch in theaters. To say that I was excited for this movie would be an understatement as a fan of the Five Nights at Freddy’s games since the first one released back in 2014. Myself and many other fans of the games, books, and general lore of the franchise have been clamoring to see the film adaptation. The story follows Mike Schmidt as he accepts a job as a security guard at Freddy’s Fazbear Pizzeria which houses the aforementioned Freddy and his animatronic friends who aren’t very friendly at night. As a horror movie, Five Nights at Freddy’s isn’t that scary, it’s PG-13 holding it back in terms of gore and scares. However, I think that makes it an excellent children’s horror movie, a neglected genre that I think needs more love as someone whose favorite cartoons growing up were Scooby-Doo and Courage the Cowardly Dog. The movie does a good job of adapting the gameplay and often vague story of the Freddy’s game into a hour and fifty minute film, although fans will get more out of the experience than casual viewers. Unsurprisingly Freddy and his gang steal the show, major props to the puppeteers and the Jim Henson Company, (as in, Muppets and Sesame Street Jim Henson) for bringing the characters to life. Another aspect of the movie that deserves love is the sound design, something most people, myself included, don’t think about while viewing; so for it to stand out to me during my watch though is something worth praising. Overall Five Nights at Freddy’s isn’t for everyone, if you are unfamiliar with the source material you won’t enjoy it as much as I did; however, it was a love letter to fans of the franchise and its a love letter I gladly accept.