Based on the video game of the same name, Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), takes a stab at turning Scott Cawthon popular survival horror into a movie for the big screen. However, we’re quickly, and perhaps unfortunately, reminded that it’s a concept which, in reality, is probably best experienced through active participation in the game itself. It’s a half-decent swing, but the scares feel like they’re stuck in a game-over loop, certainly better suited to a controller than a cinema seat.
Hutcherson’s Broke Guard Meets Lillard’s Shady Pizzeria Pitch
If you’re a fan of the games, it’s probably a no-brainer to see your favorite pizzeria come alive and light up the screen in this night at the Museum-meets-supernatural retro feel. The movie follows Mike (Josh Hutcherson), A down-on-his-luck mall security guard who tanks his job after a wild mix-up, tackling a dad he thought was snatching a kid and sending them both crashing into a water fountain.
Broke and rattled, he slumps into the office of a sly career counselor played by Matthew Lillard, who pitches a sketchy night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s, an abandoned popular 80's joint buzzing with dark secrets and clanky animatronics. It’s a setup that hums with promise, pulling you into the pizzeria’s faded glow, but it doesn’t quite ignite the sparks you’d hope for.
Saw-Level Carnage Fades into PG-13 Custody Drama Fluff
Five Nights at Freddy’s hits with a brutal opening that screams Saw-level carnage, making you think it’s gonna be a be far darker and more sinister than it ultimately turns out to be. The former guard at Freddy’s is strapped into a savage contraption, blades roaring toward his face as the animatronics leer in the background. However, the movie quickly reins itself in and pumps the brakes to adhere to its PG-13 rating, shifting the tone toward a more family-friendly horror experience.
Mike takes the security gig at Freddy's out of desperation, cornered by his pushy aunt, who wants to rip Abby, his little sister, from his care, arguing he’s a deadbeat who can’t handle parenting. She’s not entirely wrong, but it's a custody fight that feels like a pointless addition that doesn’t meaningfully develop the story, aside from setting up a few goons for disaster.
Animatronics and Freddy Fazbear Historian Outshine Mike’s Snoozing Flashbacks
The movie obsesses over Mike’s old wounds, where his brother Garrett, snatched during a family outing, haunts his dreams like a glitched arcade reel stuck on repeat. These vivid visions of that day keep resurfacing, pulling him out of the present and dragging him back as he dozes off.
Aside from proving he’s the laziest security guard on earth, often sleeping through shifts, it’s clear these dreams are meant to tie into the animatronics that jolt to life nightly, connecting his pain to the pizzeria’s riddles. The problem is, the flashbacks just spin in circles, dragging on like a tired reruns.
Mike’s Five Nights at Freddy’s are not particularly eventful. A welcome, chatty cop (Elizabeth Lail) swings by, dropping bits of Freddy’s backstory like a tour guide, while our animatronics often creak more than they creep. Their stiff, limited movements, whether jamming out on stage or sharing sweet sky-gazing moments with Mike and his sister, charm their way into our hearts and sometimes make it feel like we’re watching a wholesome family movie at times.