Five Nights at Freddy's: Uncovering the Game's Two Major Hurdles

Article Key Points

The FNAF movie failed to be scary because the source material, the games, were never considered scary either. It lacked suspense and proper scares.

The movie grappled with the intricate mythology from the game series, which sparked numerous fan theories. It adhered faithfully to the games and refrained from offering definitive explanations.

Notwithstanding its challenges, the FNAF movie has achieved significant commercial success, making a sequel highly probable. Nevertheless, the sequel may need to confront the issues encountered by its predecessor.

Five Nights At Freddy's, released on October 27th of this year, has earned an impressive $215.8 million at the global box office within a few weeks. However, the film has received mixed reviews from critics, and fans have also expressed divided opinions on the game adaptation. While many fans are delighted to have a movie version available and another addition to the FNAF franchise, hardcore horror enthusiasts found the movie lacking in consistency, unsure of its identity. Critics were also harsh in their assessments, although a few defended the movie, applauding its mythology and, specifically, Matthew Lillard's outstanding performance as a star of "Scream".

The movie features Josh Hutcherson as Mike, the night manager of the eerie Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, which was an abandoned 80s hangout that oddly requires continuous security. Mike is compelled to take the job to prevent his younger sister from being taken away by social services.

Despite featuring a stellar supporting cast including Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Elizabeth Lail, and being produced by the legendary Blumhouse company, these remarkable elements fell short in overcoming a number of significant issues. Nevertheless, despite these obstacles and the negative reviews, there is a strong likelihood of a sequel being in the works due to its extraordinary success at the box office. However, it should be noted that no official confirmation has been made yet. Perhaps a potential sequel could address the challenges faced by the FNAF movie in its initial installment.

Problem 1: The FNAF Games Aren't Actually Scary

Blumhouse's attempt to present the FNAF movie as a major horror slasher film is hindered by the fact that the source material itself is not genuinely scary. Despite the dark nature of the franchise, Five Nights at Freddy's was initially a hugely successful game series that lacked the element of fear. Regrettably, the movie fails to transform the material into anything remotely chilling. While the movie possesses an eerie atmosphere and features an excellent performance from Matthew Lillard as the villain, it ultimately lacks genuine suspense.

The games are categorized as mild horror with a few jump scares, but the movie fails to deliver any memorable scares. Although there is a sequence where the characters infiltrate Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria and meet their demise at the hands of the animatronics, this event lacks a significant buildup and concludes too quickly. Furthermore, Mike's shifts at Freddy Fazbear's lack suspense and fail to evoke feelings of claustrophobia, ultimately deviating from the promised experience of spending five nights at the location. Despite his actual five-night stay, a couple of these shifts are so inconsequential that they do not leave a lasting impact on the audience.

Problem 2: The FNAF lore is way too convoluted

The FNAF movie faced the challenge of untangling the intricate plot established in the game series, crafted by its eccentric creator, Scott Cawthon, who had involvement behind the scenes of the film adaptation. This factor potentially hindered the movie's ability to stand independently, as it largely stayed faithful to the games.

Superficially, the story is fairly straightforward - a security guard working the night shift at a deteriorating pizzeria must defend against animated animatronics. However, beneath the surface lies a complex horror narrative that has spawned numerous fan theories. In the games, every detail holds significance; nothing is coincidental. FNAF originated as an indie game and has since evolved into a sprawling franchise. Cawthon engaged with fans, providing clues about the meaning behind various elements. However, this posed a significant challenge for the movie adaptation, as the true answers remain elusive.

FNAF Quick Facts

Five Nights At Freddy's had a budget of just $20 million

The horror movie is now the highest-grossing horror film of the year in the US

The director, Emma Tammi has defended the movie's lighter tone, claiming she wanted to appeal to a wider audience

The central premise of the series revolves around a man named William Afton, who is the mastermind behind a string of heinous crimes. Afton would kidnap innocent children and conceal their lifeless bodies within the animatronic suits at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Shockingly, Afton managed to evade capture for these unforgivable acts. Consequently, the tormented spirits of his victims merged with the animatronic characters, fueling their relentless pursuit of revenge. While the initial film adaptation dutifully stayed true to this captivating backstory, the subsequent game sequels took various convoluted paths that often lacked coherence. As a result, this presents a significant challenge for any potential future installments in the movie series if Blumhouse and Universal decide to forge ahead.

Five Nights at Freddy's

Five Nights at Freddy's, developed by Scott Cawthorn, is a popular first-person survival horror and resource management game. It quickly gained fame for its eerie animatronic adversaries and its ability to induce panic with its jumpscares. The game features iconic characters such as Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Foxy, Bonnie, and others. Five Nights at Freddy's has achieved tremendous success, resulting in numerous spinoffs and fan-made games.

Editor's P/S

As an enthusiastic fan of the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, I have mixed feelings about the recent movie adaptation. While I appreciate the effort to bring the beloved game series to life on the big screen, I believe the movie fell short in several areas.

One of the biggest issues I had with the movie was its failure to deliver true scares. The games were never truly scary, relying more on jump scares and a creepy atmosphere to create tension. The movie, unfortunately, failed to capture even that level of fear. The scares were predictable and unoriginal, and the atmosphere, while eerie at times, never felt truly terrifying.

Another issue I had with the movie was its handling of the lore. The FNAF games have a complex and intricate lore, with multiple theories and interpretations floating around the fandom. The movie attempted to incorporate some of this lore, but it ended up feeling disjointed and confusing. The movie seemed to be afraid to fully commit to any one interpretation, leaving viewers with a muddled and unsatisfying story.