HallowScream - Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Last year during HallowScream, I did a review of the 2014 video game Five Nights at Freddy's created by Scott Cawthon. And now, this year, I'm taking a look at the all-new live action movie adaptation of the horror game that took the Internet by storm nine years ago. Released by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse, Five Nights at Freddy's was directed by Emma Tammi, and stars Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard. 

         Set in the year 2000, Five Nights at Freddy's follows Mike Schmidt, a troubled man with a serious case of guilt over the loss of his younger brother Garrett when he was a child. Because of that, he has difficulties holding down a job, and is on the verge of losing custody of his little sister Abby to their Aunt, who's only interested in the money, not Abby's well being. 

         Luckily, with the help of a career counselor named Steve Raglan, Mike gets a job at the night guard of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a decrepit pizzeria that's been shuttered since the '80s. With help from a police officer named Vanessa, Mike must survive five nights as the night guard, because the restaurant's animatronic characters come to life, and they don't take kindly to people that are there in the overnight hours. 

         Now, one of the major highlights of this movie is, of course, the animatronic characters. The producers turned to the Jim Henson Creature Shop to build both fully remote controlled animatronics, and fully wearable suits for full motion stunts, to bring Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy to life on screen. And, the animatronics looked absolutely amazing, feeling so realistic that it's like the Jim Henson Creature Shop plucked them from the game and made them real. Another highlight is the set design, specifically for the Freddy Fazbear's restaurant. The set looks very much like a mix of its design from the first two Five Nights at Freddy's games, and it's awesome. 

         The acting, on the other hand, is just decent. Josh Hutcherson is really good as Mike, as was Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa. Piper Rubio was good as Abby, and I thoroughly enjoyed the bond that she and Josh had as the two siblings. Matthew Lillard, who many remember from Scooby-Doo, gave easily the most chilling performance of the movie as Raglan. Now, there's a major twist around his character that game fans will probably expect, but I don't want to spoil it here for those who want to see this movie. However, I would like to point out that two YouTubers, MatPat and CoryxKenshin, make cameos in this movie. And, I think that that's a nice touch, because YouTube is where Five Nights at Freddy's got its popularity, and both MatPat and CoryxKenshin made several videos related to the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise. So, to see them get cameos in the movie really feels like paying tribute to what made the game so beloved in the first place. 

          One criticism I've seen about the Five Nights at Freddy's movie is that it's not scary enough. And, that's not inaccurate. True, by comparison to franchises like Friday the 13th, Halloween, Saw, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the movie Five Nights at Freddy's isn't scary in terms of slasher-type horror. But, then again, neither were the games. What made the Five Nights at Freddy's game so scary was the growing sense of tension throughout the game, all very likely ending with some kind of jump scare. And, to a VERY moderate extent, the Five Nights at Freddy's movie is very faithful to that. The movie does build a sense of tension, especially when you don't know when Freddy and his friends are going to strike. And, I think that game fans, especially teenagers, will appreciate how well it keeps to that. 

        Another thing that Five Nights at Freddy's fans will appreciate in this movie is how it dives into the lore of the games, especially surrounding the animatronics, the history of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, and things that I can't talk about without going into spoilers. Just know that having knowledge of the games, their story, and the deep lore at the heart of Five Nights at Freddy's will make watching this movie a much better experience. 

        Honestly, director Emma Tammi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Seth Cuddeback and franchise creator Scott Cawthon, and the team at Blumhouse really made a fun movie that's definitely a good watch for the Halloween weekend. It's not perfect, but it's faithful to the game in a way that fans will love. So, I'm giving the Five Nights at Freddy's movie a rating of 4.85/5. 

       Okay guys, this is Chuck signing off, and HallowScream will be back next with my review of Underworld: Blood Wars.