Five Nights at Freddy’s
Originally published Oct 31, 2023
I’m not a horror movie person, so Five Nights at Freddy’s naturally wasn’t on my priority film list. However, curiosity and some friends roped me into an opening night showing, and I must say I was surprised. For a film labelled as “horror” based off a video game series famous for its use of jumpscares, it was tamer than I was anticipating (I guess that’s the cost of a PG-13 rating, though). The real creepiness of the movie came more from how messed up a scenario the mystery around Freddy and his fellow animatronics is. While I’m on the subject, the animatronics and Matthew Lillard’s performance were the indisputable highlights of the movie, although neither were utilized as much as they could’ve been. The rest of the movie was…fine…
One common criticism I’ve seen raised towards Five Nights at Freddy’s was the slow pace of the story. While I do feel as though the movie slightly lagged in the middle, I do appreciate how it took it’s time to establish Mike Schmidt’s (Josh Hutcherson) character and struggles. His kid sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), was a bit frustrating to endure near the beginning of the movie, but her odd tendencies won me over as the movie progressed. Elizabeth Lali also gave a believably fearful yet friendly performance, even if the twist about her character isn’t the most surprising. With some exceptions, the rest of the cast, in terms of both acting and writing, are neither memorable nor offensive. They’re just ok. That might be the best way to sum up my feelings about the movie.
After rewatch, Five Nights at Freddy’s is a perfectly harmless movie, though I can’t help but find it distractingly restrained. Yeah, horror isn’t my jam, but I went into it with some expectations that weren’t met. The best elements of the movie were used sparingly and, while it certainly entertained me, it left a bit to be desired. See it in theaters now, if you will, but Peacock might be a preferable option for the less daring (financially speaking).
Rating: 5/10
