With over 33.5 million units sold worldwide, the Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) video game is currently one of the most well-known horror video games. Since its media debut in 2014, fans have attempted to uncover more of its plot as time has passed. As of 2023, the FNAF franchise includes nine games, 15 novels, two guides, 11 books from the Fazbear Fright series, and most recently, a movie. The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie was released on October 27, with fans raving about the recent addition to the FNAF collection. Many Harrisites have watched the film themselves and have mixed reviews about it.
The supernatural horror film follows Mike Schmidt, a nighttime security guard who begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza to investigate the disappearance of his younger brother and four other kids. He makes a disturbing discovery when the animatronic mascots who are used to entertain families at the restaurant are not as innocent as they seem. These robots are not ordinary and instead seek to murder anyone who remains in the building after midnight has come. As a guard who works the night shift, Mike must fend for himself between the hours of 12 A.M. to 6 A.M., but the daunting question is how long he will be able to survive.
Many believe that the movie has captured much of the spirit of the games, but the actual production of the movie is where it seems to have fallen short. Junior Joyce Xie says, “I would give the FNAF movie a 7/10. The film [uses] an ending that’s somewhat not true to the real storyline. It was also a bit [dull] at some points due to a lack of jumpscares, even when the [movie] was supposed to be horror.” Many fans expressed similar beliefs and said it didn’t live up to their expectations. In fact, it received a 30% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 5.5 out of 10 on IMDb.
However, Harrisites who enjoyed the film seem to disagree, eagerly awaiting what is to come. Freshman Anisha Islam says, “I liked the music and soundtrack of the film as well as the many references that were made to the video game. The graphics were similar to the game and it was nostalgic for me to watch.”
Similarly, Junior Christian Marroquin said, “Overall, it’s a fun movie to watch with your friends and it makes you feel like you got your money’s worth. It’s enjoyable for [those] who don’t have [much] history with the FNAF games. If you’re coming for a pure horror movie, this may not be for you. But you’ll find yourself satisfied enough not to care.”
Despite the mixed reviews on the new Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, many Harrisites and fans alike are still looking forward to how the franchise will play out in upcoming years. Sophomore Bella Chen said, “The [FNAF] series has been with me since my childhood and it’s only getting better as time passes. I’m excited to see how much more the [series] will bring to the plot.”
