Published 11/17/23
A good movie that did not quite meet expectations, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” was something many people were excited for, and while it was still enjoyable to watch with all the lore and characters coming to life, there were a few aspects that could have been different.
The release of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie was Oct. 27. Many old fans and newcomers to the franchise were equally excited to watch this horror jumpscare video game get put up on screen, with an amazing cast list full of famous actors like Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard and Elizabeth Lail, as well as cameos of popular YouTubers who had a part in making the game as popular as it is. Also, having the game developer Scott Cawthon be a part of the making of this movie, the expectations were high.
Expectations were still not met after seeing it in theaters, though. The two main problems most fans had with the movie is how it was not true to the original game’s genre and how they had changed the story that many people know and love.
The Five Nights at Freddy’s video game franchise, also known by fans as FNAF, is a horror game series with multiple jumpscares, that seems almost impossible to complete without dying, while the movie followed a more child-friendly version of the game by not having those classic jumpscares that many know.
Another big part of the FNAF community is how they took the vague detail and storytelling in each game and built the game’s lore piece by piece until players uncovered the unchilling truth about Freddy’s pizzeria and the founder, William Afton’s history. During the movie, many could not help but notice how they changed many characters’ original positions from what they were in the games. Michael Afton, the son of William Afton, was changed into his own person with no connection to William Afton, apart from his childhood. This was a big disappointment, since Michael Afton is a main character to one of the games and was a big part of the entire story in the games.
Even with those two details, this movie was a great watch and holds a spot in the hearts of those who had grown up playing these games or even watching YouTubers like Markiplier play them. The acting and the cinematography was amazing, from the dreams to the Springtrap scene. With great actors on the cast list, they definitely made this movie the best it could be.
As Matthew Lillard said in the movie and as fans know from the games, William Afton will “always come back,” and the FNAF community should be expecting a sequel to “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”