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Description

“It’s a theory”

It’s quite an interesting thing seeing the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise go from a surprise hit indie game to a multi-media franchise with multiple games, books, fan-content and now a movie. Well, “a movie” is a bit of a lie. In the long process of getting this movie out, at least two films were made that either banked on the popularity of FNAF or were originally FNAF from the start before changing itself midway. Those films, “Willy’s Wonderland” and “The Banana Splits movie”, sought to claim viewership while the actual FNAF film was stuck in production, and respectively they turned out fantastically chaotic and stupidly entertaining. However there still was a hole that FNAF was intending to fill, as those two other films were more-or-less parodies of the animatronic-based horror genre. Now that it is out, the question remains: was it worth the wait? Well, let’s see.

The film follows Michael Schmidt, a young man who was recently fired from his security job when he mistook a father for a kidnapper and beat him in a mall. Making matters worse he is hounded by his overbearing aunt for custody of his kid sister, who suffers from mental issues which has her distance herself from others and only concerns herself with drawing things. With no other choice available, he takes up the job of night security at Fazbear’s Pizza place: a run-down restaurant for kids that is needing someone to look over it and its prized animatronics. Michael takes the job, but just as he’s being creeped out by this place - he is also haunted by the memories of his brother, kidnapped long ago, and whom Michael desperately combs through his dreams in order to find any chance of finding the culprit responsible - all the while fending off the dangerous animatronics that roam the place.

So one thing I have to really commend the film for is that it strikes a careful balance between being a movie for FNAF fans, and a movie for general audiences who aren’t up-to-date with the story of the franchise. It does this by presenting its story clearly, knowing what details to focus on, and finding a relatable ground for any viewer to latch from - that being a brother caring for his sister. However it also has plenty of things from the FNAF franchise and later-revealed stories that make its way onto the film, both big and small. At times it feels like a love-letter for the fandom, with callouts to certain characters, concepts, and parts of the grander story. There are moments where the story can feel a little hand-holdy in its presentation, but overall it works for what it is. Something to keep in mind is that this being a PG-13 horror film it is partly directed towards younger audiences, and so I keep my expectations fair for what the film is meant to deliver. So with the film being what it is, the story it gives is handled decently, and the beats it takes are fine for something like a horror beginner or someone new to horror films. It takes a few surprising turns for those who are heavily engrossed with the horror genre, and so I was pleasantly surprised at times with what the film did.

Going into the acting, it’s fine. The main character of Mike is decent, caring, and someone you can root for. He makes some understandable mistakes, and for a film like this his character does fine for what you’re getting. The rest of the cast, though small, is fine. There’s some comedic bits that thankfully don’t go too long, and I feel like the story was simple enough that the cast did what was enough. It’s not the most memorable of performances, but they all do a fine enough job. Without going too into spoilers though, the best actor of the film is easily Matthew Lillard. The man gives a lot of energy for the specific scenes he’s in, and when you get to that point you definitely enjoy what he brings to the screen. As for the animatronic “actors” of Bonnie, Chica, Freddy, and Foxy - they’re great! The effects are largely practical, with heavy suits for three of Freddy’s cast while Foxy is entirely done with puppetry. Now while I did like the animatronics, I do have an issue with how sparingly they’re used. It’s thankfully not so little that it feels like an insult, however do prepare for a bit of a wait in between the moments when they do appear on-screen.

The horror aspect is fine. It is a PG-13 film so much of the stuff is largely off-screen or vague (with a few notable exceptions). There is a problem where the film tells more than it does show, and at some scenes it’s especially bad because I feel that it would’ve been more effective had it actually showed (or even just hinted at) some of the horrors they speak of. Again, for what it is it’s fine, but still I am rather disappointed. Surprisingly the film takes a more subdued approach to FNAF, with longer quieter moments and scenes that focus on Mike’s personal problems concerning his sister and long-lost brother. You really don’t get too much of the titular Fazbear’s location and its animatronics until about the final 3rd where all the plotlines merge together. To be quite honest, I’m of mixed opinion of this. On the one hand I can see how this can be disappointing for people expecting a heavy focus on the animatronics, but on the other I think the film does this fine enough that it can be mostly excused. It really depends on what you’re wanting out of a FNAF movie, really.

So ultimately, do I recommend this film? Well, it depends. If you’re a casual or hardcore horror fan, this film can be entertaining if you’re willing to relax and enjoy it for what it is. However if you’re a FNAF fan then I highly recommend it - it does a lot for the people who are really into the franchise, and there are moments that feel like the filmmakers wanted to give for the fans especially. I think I’m a little biased since I still have a few fond memories of FNAF, and in a way this was something of a fun personal time for me.
Truly, it’s an interesting thing - seeing what this franchise has become.

Description

“It’s a theory”

It’s quite an interesting thing seeing the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise go from a surprise hit indie game to a multi-media franchise with multiple games, books, fan-content and now a movie. Well, “a movie” is a bit of a lie. In the long process of getting this movie out, at least two films were made that either banked on the popularity of FNAF or were originally FNAF from the start before changing itself midway. Those films, “Willy’s Wonderland” and “The Banana Splits movie”, sought to claim viewership while the actual FNAF film was stuck in production, and respectively they turned out fantastically chaotic and stupidly entertaining. However there still was a hole that FNAF was intending to fill, as those two other films were more-or-less parodies of the animatronic-based horror genre. Now that it is out, the question remains: was it worth the wait? Well, let’s see.

The film follows Michael Schmidt, a young man who was recently fired from his security job when he mistook a father for a kidnapper and beat him in a mall. Making matters worse he is hounded by his overbearing aunt for custody of his kid sister, who suffers from mental issues which has her distance herself from others and only concerns herself with drawing things. With no other choice available, he takes up the job of night security at Fazbear’s Pizza place: a run-down restaurant for kids that is needing someone to look over it and its prized animatronics. Michael takes the job, but just as he’s being creeped out by this place - he is also haunted by the memories of his brother, kidnapped long ago, and whom Michael desperately combs through his dreams in order to find any chance of finding the culprit responsible - all the while fending off the dangerous animatronics that roam the place.

So one thing I have to really commend the film for is that it strikes a careful balance between being a movie for FNAF fans, and a movie for general audiences who aren’t up-to-date with the story of the franchise. It does this by presenting its story clearly, knowing what details to focus on, and finding a relatable ground for any viewer to latch from - that being a brother caring for his sister. However it also has plenty of things from the FNAF franchise and later-revealed stories that make its way onto the film, both big and small. At times it feels like a love-letter for the fandom, with callouts to certain characters, concepts, and parts of the grander story. There are moments where the story can feel a little hand-holdy in its presentation, but overall it works for what it is. Something to keep in mind is that this being a PG-13 horror film it is partly directed towards younger audiences, and so I keep my expectations fair for what the film is meant to deliver. So with the film being what it is, the story it gives is handled decently, and the beats it takes are fine for something like a horror beginner or someone new to horror films. It takes a few surprising turns for those who are heavily engrossed with the horror genre, and so I was pleasantly surprised at times with what the film did.

Going into the acting, it’s fine. The main character of Mike is decent, caring, and someone you can root for. He makes some understandable mistakes, and for a film like this his character does fine for what you’re getting. The rest of the cast, though small, is fine. There’s some comedic bits that thankfully don’t go too long, and I feel like the story was simple enough that the cast did what was enough. It’s not the most memorable of performances, but they all do a fine enough job. Without going too into spoilers though, the best actor of the film is easily Matthew Lillard. The man gives a lot of energy for the specific scenes he’s in, and when you get to that point you definitely enjoy what he brings to the screen. As for the animatronic “actors” of Bonnie, Chica, Freddy, and Foxy - they’re great! The effects are largely practical, with heavy suits for three of Freddy’s cast while Foxy is entirely done with puppetry. Now while I did like the animatronics, I do have an issue with how sparingly they’re used. It’s thankfully not so little that it feels like an insult, however do prepare for a bit of a wait in between the moments when they do appear on-screen.

The horror aspect is fine. It is a PG-13 film so much of the stuff is largely off-screen or vague (with a few notable exceptions). There is a problem where the film tells more than it does show, and at some scenes it’s especially bad because I feel that it would’ve been more effective had it actually showed (or even just hinted at) some of the horrors they speak of. Again, for what it is it’s fine, but still I am rather disappointed. Surprisingly the film takes a more subdued approach to FNAF, with longer quieter moments and scenes that focus on Mike’s personal problems concerning his sister and long-lost brother. You really don’t get too much of the titular Fazbear’s location and its animatronics until about the final 3rd where all the plotlines merge together. To be quite honest, I’m of mixed opinion of this. On the one hand I can see how this can be disappointing for people expecting a heavy focus on the animatronics, but on the other I think the film does this fine enough that it can be mostly excused. It really depends on what you’re wanting out of a FNAF movie, really.

So ultimately, do I recommend this film? Well, it depends. If you’re a casual or hardcore horror fan, this film can be entertaining if you’re willing to relax and enjoy it for what it is. However if you’re a FNAF fan then I highly recommend it - it does a lot for the people who are really into the franchise, and there are moments that feel like the filmmakers wanted to give for the fans especially. I think I’m a little biased since I still have a few fond memories of FNAF, and in a way this was something of a fun personal time for me.
Truly, it’s an interesting thing - seeing what this franchise has become.