Ever since the first game’s release in 2014, the Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) franchise has made quite a name for itself. With games, books, and everything in-between, FNAF has become a household name among horror fans. Seeing its growth and the release of other movies based on gaming franchises, it is no surprise that a FNAF movie was put into production. Fans have been buzzing since the release of Blumhouse’s FNAF movie, but is the hype surrounding the movie’s release justified?

The movie follows Mike Schmit, a mall security guard who, upon being fired, is forced to take up a night guard position at the abandoned Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. While working, Mike stumbles upon the dark secret behind Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria which is hidden in the animatronic mascots of the pizzeria. Mike discovers they are being possessed by the spirits of the children murdered at the pizzeria many years ago. Assisted by a police officer named Vanessa, Mike investigates the mysterious ties the animatronics have to his younger sister, Abby, and to the disappearance of his younger brother, which continues to haunt him.

The acting wasn’t half bad, as the cast used the material they were given well, bringing their characters to life. The overall production value of the film is also impressive, with Blumhouse making the most of their 20-million-dollar budget. The pizzeria gives off a very creepy atmosphere and remains very faithful to the games. However, the most impressive aspects of the movie’s production are the animatronics. Not only are they highly accurate in how they look in the games, but the way they move really sells that they are giant robotic animals. 

The movie doesn’t go for cheap jump scares. Instead, it relies on the overall atmosphere and the animatronics to bring out the fear factor. One aspect of the movie that is tailor made for fans are the many Easter Eggs and references scattered throughout the film such as cameos from famous YouTubers who have helped bring the FNAF franchise to its current status.

However, the movie is not perfect. The movie is slow throughout the beginning and middle, only picking up speed towards the end. It is not a big issue, but it is something to consider. Dialogue exchanges were also awkward at times. Occasionally, characters paused between sentences for long times, and one of the characters gave Mike an exposition dump about the pizzeria that felt forced. There is also a plot hole when Vanessa talks about how the police could not find any of the children’s bodies despite checking the facility top to bottom. It is revealed that the bodies of the children were hidden inside the animatronics and the police didn’t search them because, “no one would think to look in them,” according to Vanessa. This is silly because they are big enough to fit a child, making them an obvious spot to hide them.

The FNAF movie is overall a very enjoyable experience, especially for long-time fans of the franchise. While it isn’t perfect, it has a spooky atmosphere which provides some great scares and gives audiences some spectacular practical effects.

7/10