Analyzing the Similarities between the Five Nights at Freddy's Movie and Game Storylines
The Five Nights at Freddy's film may have been marketed as an adaptation of the game, but its storyline draws inspiration from a multitude of lore sources, creating a unique amalgamation Explore how the series has evolved and the characters that serve as the clearest points of comparison
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD for the Five Nights at Freddy's movie. Proceed at your own risk.
Article Key Points
The Five Nights at Freddy's film greatly deviates from the original game, emphasizing intricate storytelling rather than mere frights, making it particularly captivating for devoted enthusiasts rather than the general public. The movie heavily depends on suggestive storytelling, utilizing allusions and contextual details to construct its storyline, akin to the games. This method has posed challenges for both critics and casual fans in establishing a connection with the film.
The film's main characters, such as Mike Schmidt, Abby Schmidt, Vanessa, and William Afton, play a crucial role in connecting the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise to its on-screen adaptation. Released this past week after being announced in 2015, the Five Nights at Freddy's film surprised audience members and casual fans by deviating from the simple and fear-inducing nature of the original game. Instead, it heavily incorporates an expanded lore that encompasses both the games and books. This leads to a significant difference in the narratives between the original game and its film adaptation, with the film leaving much to be inferred rather than explicitly explained. However, by examining the origins of the film's main characters and setting, as well as their connection to the game's chronology, fans can gain a better understanding of the events in the film and predict its likely future direction.
The reception of the Five Nights at Freddy's film has been divided, with fans who are already invested in its intricate and complex lore praising it as an almost flawless adaptation. However, critics and general audiences have struggled to connect with the film. This disconnect can be attributed to creator Scott Cawthon's reliance on inferential storytelling, where the narrative is built upon references and background details, similar to the games. As a result, the film had to draw from various sources, disregarding the surface-level tone and major elements of the original game title, as they are largely inconsequential to its position in the lore today.
The Five Nights at Freddy's Series Has Shifted Since 2015
When the Five Nights at Freddy's film was announced in 2015, the franchise and its story were much simpler. The original game had no defined plot, instead using Easter eggs and in-game references to hint at a mysterious series of murders. However, it was the sequel, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, that truly began to develop the lore with the introduction of the Puppet and lore-building mini-games. By the end of 2015, FNAF's lore had evolved into a detailed story, shining the spotlight on its main antagonist, William Afton.
In 2015, three significant releases contributed to the growth of the FNAF story: Five Nights at Freddy's 3, Five Nights at Freddy's 4, and the first FNAF novel, The Silver Eyes. Prior to these releases, the series' main antagonist, Purple Guy, remained nameless and served only as a non-playable character. While the games continued to challenge players to survive the night, hidden mini-games provided evidence of his crimes, death at the hands of the children's spirits, and eventual resurrection as Springtrap. The Silver Eyes, released in December 2015, delved deeper into the character's history, revealing the name William Afton and shedding light on his origins.
Five Nights at Freddy's Characters Provide Its Clearest Method of Comparison
The transition towards a comprehensive storyline has led to a shift in the Five Nights at Freddy's series, moving away from its initial emphasis on horror and towards a narrative that is deep and intricate. With each new release, the overarching story and the associated theories have expanded further. In 2023, the original game remains a prominent component of the franchise, as subsequent entries have added depth to its core elements and provided a backstory that enhances its true purpose. When adapting the game into a film, Blumhouse and Scott Cawthon, the creator, incorporated these external elements such as characters, settings, and background references, using them to create an inferential narrative.
The backstory of Mike Schmidt, a struggling security guard, and his desperate efforts to maintain custody of his younger sister, Abby, are explored in the Five Nights at Freddy's film. In order to accomplish this, he agrees to a job offer from Steve Raglan, which leads him to become the night guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place.
Source Material | Film | |
Mike Schmidt | Mike Schmidt, whose true identity is believed to be that of William Afton's eldest son, Michael, is the lead protagonist of the classic FNAF series. Michael's major background info is provided through silent minigames, the Survival Logbook, and Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location, where he is sent to find his younger sister, Elizabeth, leading to his death and reanimation. Michael's younger brother's death as a child informs his primary motives. In the games, Michael's main goal is to find his father, William, though his intentions after doing so are still unknown. | Mike is a struggling security guard who takes a job at Freddy's to retain custody of his younger sister, Abby. Mike's backstory is played out in a series of dream sequences, which see his younger brother Garrett kidnapped by William Afton. Adopting FNAF 4's Dream Theory, Mike relives the traumatic moment every night, attempting to distinguish important details. With the help of Vanessa, Abby, and the Animatronics, Mike brings an end to William's cyclical murder of children and security guards. |
Abby Schmidt | N/A | Abby is an original character to the Five Nights at Freddy's Movie, replacing Elizabeth as Michael's younger sister. Abby plays a major role in the film's plot, as she befriends the spirits trapped within the animatronics. In the film's climax, she is brought to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place by Golden Freddy, in an effort by William Afton and the Animatronics to trap her in a springlock suit. She reveals Afton's crimes to the children, leading to his death in the Spring Bonnie suit. |
Vanessa | Vanessa made her first physical debut in Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, though she is believed to have debuted as Tape Girl in FNAF: Help Wanted. She is the night security guard at the Mega-Pizzaplex, which sees her attempt to catch Security Breach's protagonist, Gregory, throughout the night. The title's DLC, RUIN, confirmed Vanessa to be the identity of Vanny, a murderous disciple of Afton's, corrupted by the Glitchtrap virus over 30 years after William's true death. | Vanessa is a police officer, who assists Mike in caring for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place. It is later revealed that Vanessa is involved in William Afton's cycle of murder as a failsafe. She is tasked with eliminating Mike if he figures out too much. She later reveals herself to be Afton's daughter, before joining Mike in ending her Father's reign of terror and saving Abby. Vanessa is left on life support at the end of the film, having been mortally wounded by her Father. |
Animatronics/Spirits | Each Five Nights at Freddy's title features animatronics housing the bodies and spirits of child victims. While these children's identities are rarely known, Five Nights at Freddy's 3 depicts the FNAF 1 animatronics in various lore minigames. As it pertains to the film, these minigames reveal the spirits' major role in the death of William Afton. | Five Nights at Freddy's animatronics house the spirits and bodies of William's child victims, whom he manipulates through some unknown force. The spirits themselves appear in Mike's dreams and entice him to trade Abby for life with his younger brother. In the film's climax, the spirits/animatronics remember Afton's role in their deaths, leading to the villains being "springlocked" in the Spring Bonnie Suit. |
William Afton | William Afton is the main antagonist of the classic Five Nights at Freddy's series and is responsible for an untold number of child murders. He is the co-creator of the Freddy's franchise with Henry Emily, a robotics genius. After the death of his daughter Elizabeth, Afton sets the FNAF franchise in motion, killing the child of his business partner before moving on to more victims. In FNAF 1, he makes his debut as Phone Guy, the individual responsible for informing Mike of the day shift's events. His being attacked by the animatronics is later overheard by Mike, linking the game's events to those of the FNAF 3 minigames. Following his death in the Spring Bonnie Suit, Afton returns as Springtrap, after the hidden room in which he was sealed is opened. | William Afton is introduced as Steve Raglan, a social services worker who offers Mike the job at long-closed Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place. As in the source material, Raglan leaves Mike a detailed phone message about the location and shift expectations. In the film's climax, Raglan is revealed to be Afton, before appearing in the Spring Bonnie suit to kill Mike and his sister, Abby. However, he is thwarted by Mike, Vanessa, and the animatronics, leading to his being mortally wounded by springlocks. The film's final shot is up to interpretation as his twitching can be taken as a sign of his being cusp of death, or as an indication of his having already begun to reanimate. |
Golden Freddy | Golden Freddy is a hidden fifth animatronic in the original Five Nights at Freddy's. Existing beyond a physical animatronic, the spirit housed within named Cassidy is a powerful force in the game and book series. Cassidy is one of William's oldest and most vengeful victims, who violently attacks night guards and seemingly kills Afton/Phone Guy with the Spring Bonnie suit. The books imply that, following his resurrection and eventual second defeat, Cassidy attaches herself to Afton's soul to ensure he never dies. Instead, she thrusts his mind into an eternal hellscape in which he is repeatedly killed by his victims. | Golden Freddy and his unnamed spirit are the secondary antagonists of the Five Nights at Freddy's film. The spirit appears throughout Mike's dream sequences, eventually tricking Mike into trading Abby for his brother Garrett. The ghostly animatronic physically appears in Abby's home and journeys with her to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place, before disappearing. In the film's final scene, the spirit watches as Afton's springlocked body violently twitches, before locking him in a backroom. |
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The game's Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a significant location in the FNAF lore, is replaced by the setting in the film. However, it is the characters in the film that drive the implied narrative. The film builds upon the lore of Five Nights at Freddy's 3 to tell its story. By examining the differences in the characters' stories between the film and its source material, we can effectively compare the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise with its on-screen adaptation:
Source Material | Film | |
Mike Schmidt | Mike Schmidt, whose true identity is believed to be that of William Afton's eldest son, Michael, is the lead protagonist of the classic FNAF series. Michael's major background info is provided through silent minigames, the Survival Logbook, and Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location, where he is sent to find his younger sister, Elizabeth, leading to his death and reanimation. Michael's younger brother's death as a child informs his primary motives. In the games, Michael's main goal is to find his father, William, though his intentions after doing so are still unknown. | Mike is a struggling security guard who takes a job at Freddy's to retain custody of his younger sister, Abby. Mike's backstory is played out in a series of dream sequences, which see his younger brother Garrett kidnapped by William Afton. Adopting FNAF 4's Dream Theory, Mike relives the traumatic moment every night, attempting to distinguish important details. With the help of Vanessa, Abby, and the Animatronics, Mike brings an end to William's cyclical murder of children and security guards. |
Abby Schmidt | N/A | Abby is an original character to the Five Nights at Freddy's Movie, replacing Elizabeth as Michael's younger sister. Abby plays a major role in the film's plot, as she befriends the spirits trapped within the animatronics. In the film's climax, she is brought to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place by Golden Freddy, in an effort by William Afton and the Animatronics to trap her in a springlock suit. She reveals Afton's crimes to the children, leading to his death in the Spring Bonnie suit. |
Vanessa | Vanessa made her first physical debut in Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, though she is believed to have debuted as Tape Girl in FNAF: Help Wanted. She is the night security guard at the Mega-Pizzaplex, which sees her attempt to catch Security Breach's protagonist, Gregory, throughout the night. The title's DLC, RUIN, confirmed Vanessa to be the identity of Vanny, a murderous disciple of Afton's, corrupted by the Glitchtrap virus over 30 years after William's true death. | Vanessa is a police officer, who assists Mike in caring for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place. It is later revealed that Vanessa is involved in William Afton's cycle of murder as a failsafe. She is tasked with eliminating Mike if he figures out too much. She later reveals herself to be Afton's daughter, before joining Mike in ending her Father's reign of terror and saving Abby. Vanessa is left on life support at the end of the film, having been mortally wounded by her Father. |
Animatronics/Spirits | Each Five Nights at Freddy's title features animatronics housing the bodies and spirits of child victims. While these children's identities are rarely known, Five Nights at Freddy's 3 depicts the FNAF 1 animatronics in various lore minigames. As it pertains to the film, these minigames reveal the spirits' major role in the death of William Afton. | Five Nights at Freddy's animatronics house the spirits and bodies of William's child victims, whom he manipulates through some unknown force. The spirits themselves appear in Mike's dreams and entice him to trade Abby for life with his younger brother. In the film's climax, the spirits/animatronics remember Afton's role in their deaths, leading to the villains being "springlocked" in the Spring Bonnie Suit. |
William Afton | William Afton is the main antagonist of the classic Five Nights at Freddy's series and is responsible for an untold number of child murders. He is the co-creator of the Freddy's franchise with Henry Emily, a robotics genius. After the death of his daughter Elizabeth, Afton sets the FNAF franchise in motion, killing the child of his business partner before moving on to more victims. In FNAF 1, he makes his debut as Phone Guy, the individual responsible for informing Mike of the day shift's events. His being attacked by the animatronics is later overheard by Mike, linking the game's events to those of the FNAF 3 minigames. Following his death in the Spring Bonnie Suit, Afton returns as Springtrap, after the hidden room in which he was sealed is opened. | William Afton is introduced as Steve Raglan, a social services worker who offers Mike the job at long-closed Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place. As in the source material, Raglan leaves Mike a detailed phone message about the location and shift expectations. In the film's climax, Raglan is revealed to be Afton, before appearing in the Spring Bonnie suit to kill Mike and his sister, Abby. However, he is thwarted by Mike, Vanessa, and the animatronics, leading to his being mortally wounded by springlocks. The film's final shot is up to interpretation as his twitching can be taken as a sign of his being cusp of death, or as an indication of his having already begun to reanimate. |
Golden Freddy | Golden Freddy is a hidden fifth animatronic in the original Five Nights at Freddy's. Existing beyond a physical animatronic, the spirit housed within named Cassidy is a powerful force in the game and book series. Cassidy is one of William's oldest and most vengeful victims, who violently attacks night guards and seemingly kills Afton/Phone Guy with the Spring Bonnie suit. The books imply that, following his resurrection and eventual second defeat, Cassidy attaches herself to Afton's soul to ensure he never dies. Instead, she thrusts his mind into an eternal hellscape in which he is repeatedly killed by his victims. | Golden Freddy and his unnamed spirit are the secondary antagonists of the Five Nights at Freddy's film. The spirit appears throughout Mike's dream sequences, eventually tricking Mike into trading Abby for his brother Garrett. The ghostly animatronic physically appears in Abby's home and journeys with her to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place, before disappearing. In the film's final scene, the spirit watches as Afton's springlocked body violently twitches, before locking him in a backroom. |
The core elements of the original Five Nights at Freddy's title are brought to life in the film adaptation. By incorporating the complex and non-linear narrative of the early series titles, such as FNAF and FNAF 3, along with the recently released Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, the film seamlessly weaves together characters and locations. These iconic elements serve as the foundation for an exciting new chronology. While the film's story expands far beyond the simplistic narrative of the original game, the characters created by Scott Cawthon and Blumhouse help bridge the gap between the two mediums, paving the way for a potential film universe. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the first Five Nights at Freddy's movie achieved considerable success, leaving fans eager to witness more of the franchise's lore adapted for the big screen.
Five Nights at Freddy's, created by Scott Cawthorn, is a popular first-person survival horror and resource management game. It gained popularity due to its unsettling animatronic adversaries and the tense jumpscares it provides. Featuring iconic characters such as Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Foxy, Bonnie, and others, Five Nights at Freddy's has achieved great success, resulting in spinoffs and fan-made games.
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z fan, I have mixed feelings about the Five Nights at Freddy's movie. On the one hand, I appreciate that the filmmakers took the time to flesh out the lore of the games and create a more intricate storyline. On the other hand, I feel like the movie lost some of the simplicity and horror of the original games.
I think the biggest problem with the movie is that it tries to do too much. It tries to cram in all of the lore from the games, as well as new characters and plotlines. This makes the movie feel disjointed and confusing. I also think the movie relies too heavily on jump scares. The scares are effective at first, but they get old after a while.
Overall, I think the Five Nights at Freddy's movie is a decent adaptation of the games. However, I think it could have been better if the filmmakers had focused on making a more streamlined and cohesive story.
