‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Review: Underwhelming Nostalgia

Five Nights at Freddy’s movie may only be enjoyable for those millennials who enjoyed the franchise as kids. 

The only ones who seem to be in on the joke of film “Five Nights at Freddy’s” are dedicated fans of the video game. But as a movie this supposed horror flick is lacking, well, anything that makes it worth the ticket price. 

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” (5.5/10 IMDb) movie was released in October and has grossed a total of $291 million in the box office. This movie currently stands at an underwhelming 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics don’t seem to be enjoying this film and there might be a reason why. 

The film follows Mike Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson, the infamous Peta from “The Hunger Games” series. Schmidt takes care of his younger sister in the film, and often finds it difficult keeping jobs to support her. His luck is tested when he gets hired at Fazbear’s Pizzeria where he can only work the night shift.

The storyline follows the lore of the award-winning video game series that stuck with many young players when the game was released initially in 2014. The ever-growing franchise developed this movie with such fans in mind. 

 Although it is nice to see Hutcherson in a newer role, the plot of this film left it feeling like a joke on the critics watching. The film is given the description of “horror,” but the underwhelming scare factor does not fit in this category. 

The new-age cinematography created a dynamic picture on the screen with the fantastical use of animatronics. It is no doubt that the intended audience of this film was long time fans of the franchise. To other viewers, the film would not make sense. 

If you are a lifelong “Five Nights at Freddy’s” fan, then this is worth watching. If not, you may want to stay home.