Five Nights at Freddy’s is a popular indie video game series that has spawned a cult following, a novel trilogy, and now a feature film adaptation. The game series, created by Scott Cawthon, revolves around a night security guard who must survive five nights at a haunted pizza restaurant, where the animatronic mascots come to life and try to kill him. The film, directed by Emma Tammi and co-written by Cawthon, is a comedic horror flick that follows Mike Schmidt, a troubled drifter who takes the job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and uncovers the dark secrets behind the place.
The Origins of Five Nights at Freddy’s
The first Five Nights at Freddy’s game was released in 2014 and became an instant hit among horror fans and online streamers. The game was praised for its simple yet effective gameplay, its creepy atmosphere, and its lore that hinted at a tragic backstory involving missing children and a serial killer. Cawthon, who had previously made Christian-themed games, said he was inspired by his own childhood fears of animatronics and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants. He also said he wanted to make a game that would challenge the players’ expectations and make them question their own sanity.
The game was followed by four sequels, a spin-off, and a VR game, each adding new characters, locations, mechanics, and plot twists. The games also featured hidden clues, Easter eggs, and minigames that revealed more about the lore and the mystery of the Purple Guy, the main antagonist of the series. Cawthon also released a novel trilogy based on the games, titled The Silver Eyes, The Twisted Ones, and The Fourth Closet. The novels explored an alternate timeline where a group of friends try to solve the mystery of their missing friend and confront the evil behind Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.
The Making of the Movie
The movie adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s has been in development since 2015, when Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the franchise. However, the project faced several delays and creative differences, leading to Cawthon rejecting several scripts and directors. In 2017, Blumhouse Productions took over the production, with Jason Blum as the producer. Blumhouse is known for producing low-budget horror films such as Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge, and Get Out.
In 2019, Cawthon announced that he had found the right director for the movie: Emma Tammi, who had previously directed the horror western The Wind. Tammi said she was a fan of the games and wanted to capture their essence in the film. She also said she wanted to balance the horror and comedy aspects of the story, as well as explore the themes of trauma, guilt, and redemption.
The film stars Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, Matthew Lillard as Steve Buscemi (a career counselor who helps Mike get the job), Mary Stuart Masterson as Aunt Jen (Mike’s aunt who tries to take custody of his sister), and Andy Serkis as Freddy Fazbear (the leader of the animatronics who uses motion capture technology). The film also features cameo appearances from Markiplier and Jacksepticeye (two popular YouTube streamers who played the games), Scott Cawthon (the creator of the games), and MatPat (the host of Game Theory who analyzed the lore of the games).
The Reception of the Movie
The movie was released on October 27th 2023 in theaters and on streaming platforms. It received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. Some praised it for its faithful adaptation of the games, its humor, its scares, and its performances. Others criticized it for its lack of originality, its plot holes, its tone inconsistencies, and its PG-13 rating.
The movie was a moderate box office success, grossing $40 million worldwide on a $15 million budget. It also generated a lot of online buzz and memes among fans of the games. Cawthon said he was happy with how the movie turned out and thanked Tammi for her vision. He also hinted that there might be sequels or spin-offs in the future.
