‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Review
Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kat Conner Sterling, David Lind, Christian Stokes, Joseph Poliquin | Written by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, Emma Tammi | Directed by Emma Tammi
We’ve always known what creeps us out. From clowns to small tight spaces, we as an audience have been subjected to enough now that we know what people and places to stay away from. Some of those have included fun houses, and others include creepy animatronic kid’s entertainment. With movies like The Funhouse (1981) and Magic (1978) reminding of this, Five Nights at Freddy’s should be just as creepy and just as unnerving, unfortunately however, it is not. Five Nights at Freddy’s is neither creepy nor entertaining, even though there is a stellar performance from Josh Hutcherson.
Five Nights of Freddy’s was first released as a 2014 point-and-click survival horror game. Players took control of a night watchman, monitoring the security cameras at Freddy’s pizzeria, trying to keep track of the homicidal animatronics that came to life each night and survive. It’s a story that taps into many of our primal fears, so a film adaptation shouldn’t be that hard to get right in terms of the plot. However, the film’s execution falls disappointingly short, as it struggles with an overly ambitious plot that veers into convoluted territory, leaving the audience more puzzled than thrilled.
We are introduced to Mike, a troubled security guard who’s been spending his waking hours and the hours of his dreams, trying to solve the disappearance of his brother. We then get introduced to a police officer with a suspicious interest in Freddy’s. The many plot lines the film tries to weave are just too much for what the film should have been, and what could have worked really well.
In 2021 we got Willy’s Wonderland, starring Nicolas Cage, which essentially took everything from the game Five Nights at Freddy’s and brought it to life. It wasn’t a great film, it wasn’t even much of a good one, but it knew what it was and knew what the audience wanted to see. It understood the basics of a fun house of horror film and gave us a wild ride. Five Nights at Freddy’s, however, loses its way and misunderstands what makes these types of horrors work. It’s as if it can’t decide whether it wants to be a gritty horror flick or a mind-bending thriller, resulting in a muddled storyline that detracts from the potential scares. In this case, less could have been more.
Though, honestly, Josh Hutcherson stands out as a shining beacon in the midst of mediocrity. His performance injects some much-needed life into the film, proving he deserves meatier roles in future projects. It’s a shame his talent is somewhat wasted in a movie that struggles to find its footing, but it does prove he has been somewhat of an underrated gem in Hollywood this last decade. He’s not had the best run in recent years and his talent does deserve better. For me, I’d love to see him working more and with a better quality script where he would make a great addition to any future projects.
In the end, Five Nights at Freddy’s missed the opportunity to deliver a genuinely chilling experience. The tension and suspense that should have been its lifeblood feel forced, and the payoff falls flat. What should have been a pulse-pounding experience turns out to be a tedious watch, with moments of genuine fright few and far between.
** 2/5
Five Nights at Freddy’s is in cinemas now.
