Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kat Connor Sterling
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Runtime: 110 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2023
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realises that the night shift won’t be so easy to get through. Pretty soon he will unveil what actually happened at Freddy’s.
For this reviewer, a good surprise. For diehard horror fans, strong expressions of disappointment. They wanted more shocks, more scares, more gore and were not impressed by the human story.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is based on a computer game, popular since 2014, by Scott Cawthorne who contributed to the screenplay. Box office and some blogging indicates that many fans of the game have enjoyed the film.
Rather than set up expectations for a horror film, it is probably best to call it a ‘terror film’. While horror has been a staple of the Blumhouse production company, in more recent times, as with The Black Phone, there have been more menace and terror dramas, which are more accessible to a wider audience.
The screenplay for Five Nights keeps a favourable audience quite involved. There are some moments of horror at the opening, but then an introduction to a troubled young man, Mike (Hutcherson), traumatised by the abduction of his younger brother, inadequately caring for his younger sister (with their aunt, Masterson, wanting custody to get the payment cheques). Mike is interviewed by a career counsellor who recommends a job as security at an abandoned restaurant – Freddy’s. Once popular with families, it is now in disrepair.
For audiences interested in the family drama, this is followed through in some detail, but made more complex by Mike reading a book Dream Theory and having, throughout the film, a recurring nightmare, revisiting the abduction of his brother, each dream adding more as Mike tries to discover who took his brother. This dream thread is often powerful.
As regards Freddy’s, there are five large animatronic characters (from Jim Henson’s workshop), rather than computer graphic effects, who come alive, repeating a song and dance routine from the past, but can be terrifyingly menacing. We see them in action against some thugs, urged on by the aunt, to trash Freddy’s. But we also see them engaging happily with Mike’s sister, (Rubio). There is also a sympathetic policewoman (Lail) on watch who befriends Mike, giving him advice.
Of course, it builds to a confronting climax, and some revelations about the villain behind Freddy’s, about the policewoman, which for many will come as an interesting twist.
One note about the screenplay, there are only two coarse words uttered throughout the whole film, no reliance on repeated coarseness, one word spoken by the main thug, the other by a pharmacist who has been offended by Mike. As expected, at the end, there are questions raised about the future – indicating possible sequels.
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