Review Roundup: Five Nights At Freddy's Movie Analysis

Five Nights at Freddy's seems to be following in the footsteps of other disappointing movie adaptations of popular video game franchises. Initial reviews criticize the film for having too much emphasis on its plot and not enough genuine scares.

As of now, our sister site Metacritic has only collected nine reviews, all of which are negative. This results in a dismal metascore of 28 for Five Nights at Freddy's. The horror movie is based on the successful video game series that first launched in 2014 and was even co-written by its creator, Scott Cawthorn.

However, one positive review for the film comes from Our Website's Five Nights at Freddy's review. Phil Owens gave the horror movie a 7/10, stating that it's "mostly a good time." Nonetheless, he does criticize it for having "more plot than it's able to support."

Additionally, there is a common concern regarding the movie's PG-13 rating potentially leading to underwhelming scares. Nonetheless, director Emma Tammi has emphasized that fans should not anticipate an R-rated version of Five Nights at Freddy's.

The movie premieres on Friday, October 27, both in theaters and for streaming on Peacock. For more reviews on Five Nights at Freddy's, please see below:

GameSpot -- 7/10

"When the Five Nights at Freddy's movie embraces its true essence—and it does so for the most part—it delivers a great deal of entertainment. The eerie and bizarre animatronic madness is a fascinating aspect of our culture and serves as an exceptional concept for a film. However, this movie cannot solely rely on that, as the franchise has significantly evolved since the inception of this project." -- Phil Owens [Read the full review]

Variety

The creators behind Five Nights at Freddy’s made a series of poor decisions. Rather than focusing on the animatronic characters, they instead chose to prioritize a perplexing plot and backstory for the main character. In their attempt to adapt the game for the big screen, they lost sight of what made the original so special. As a result, the film unintentionally elicits laughter from its bizarre narrative instead of effectively entertaining audiences.

Collider -- 1.5/5 stars

There are instances where it seems like the film had the potential to embrace a delightfully dark and chilling horror experience by diving deep into the story and truly sinking its fangs in. However, it remains restricted by its rating and a lack of imagination and innovation.

IndieWire -- Grade D

"To be enjoyable, a film featuring a haunted Chuck E. Cheese clone doesn't necessarily have to be overly intricate. Regrettably, Five Nights at Freddy’s fails to capture the essence of the arcade, instead opting for a flashback forest setting, which undermines the inherent appeal of menacing animatronic cartoon characters as terrifying slasher villains. It falls short of truly becoming a genuine horror movie." -- Wilson Chapman [Full review]

IGN -- 4/10

"The animatronics are simultaneously too much and not enough in this film. Crafted by the Jim Henson Creature Shop, they undeniably possess an impressive appearance - both faithful to the game design and realistic as physical machinery. They evoke haunting memories of encountering similar figures in the '80s or '90s. However, the movie seems uncertain about pushing the boundaries of their scariness." -- A.A. Dowd [Full review]

The Wrap

The adaptation of the game's Wikipedia page rather than the game itself is a prime example of how video game adaptations often fail to capture the true essence of the material. Instead of focusing on the immersive experience, the filmmakers solely concentrate on the events, effectively losing sight of the feeling of being a part of it.

The Independent -- 2/5 stars

Unfortunately, rather than catering to the established fan base, Five Nights wastes precious time trying to win over those who have little interest in the game. Consequently, what could have been a captivating, twisted, and absurd delight is reduced to just another generic horror film, indistinguishable from the countless other scary movies flooding the October release schedule.