FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

US, 2023, 110 minutes, Colour.

Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kat Connor Sterling.

Directed by Emma Tammi.

For this reviewer, a good surprise. For diehard horror fans, strong expressions of disappointment. They wanted more shocks, more scares, more gore. They 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 for this adaptation of his game. Box office and some blogging indicates that many fans of the game have enjoyed the film.

Rather than set up expectations for it as a horror film, it is probably best to call it a “terror film”. While horror has been a staple of the prolific Blumhouse production company, in more recent times, as with The Black Phone, there have been quite a number of menace and terror dramas, 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 (Josh Hutcherson), traumatised by the abduction of his younger brother, inadequately caring for his younger sister (with their aunt, Mary Stuart Masterson, wanting custody to get the payment checks). He is interviewed by a career counsellor who recommends a job as security at an abandoned restaurant, popular with families, but now in disrepair. This is Freddy’s.

For audiences who are 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 quite powerful.

As regards Freddy’s, there are five very 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 also 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, (Piper Rubio). There is also a sympathetic policewoman (Elizabeth Lail) on watch who befriends Mike, giving him advice.

Of course, it will build up to quite a confronting climax, and some revelations about the villain behind Freddy’s, about the policewoman, which a number of viewers said they anticipated but, probably, most audiences will find it 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.

1. The popularity of the computer game? Since 2014? Accompanying merchandise? The age of the players?
2. The atmosphere of the town, public places, homes and apartments, offices, and the contrast with the isolated Pizza rear, the facade, the parking, the range of dim interiors? The musical score?
3. Willing suspension of disbelief? Characters, ghostly appearances, abductions, the animatronic animals, coming alive?
4. The description of the film as horror – or, rather, it being a terror and menace film? Some scares, some touch of the grizzly, but more the atmosphere of terror? Popularity of the box office, some critics wanting more horror?
5. Freddy’s, in the past, for pizza, entertainment, the animal characters, children and families? The accusation about the owner, the pizza rear in decline? Need for security guard?
6. The introduction to Mike, the memories of the past, his family, his brother, the picnic, his brother’s disappearance, Mike blaming himself, but very young? The consequences, his insecurities, wanting to find out what happened, his continued dreams, the developments in the dreams, re-enactments, questioning the mysterious children?
7. Mike, his friend, interpreting the man abducting a child, attacking him, punching him? His going to the job counsellor, not able to hold down a job, the lecture by the counsellor, the offer of the job – and the ironies of the final revelation about the counsellor?
8. Mike, with Abby at home, the tension between them, her drawings, his presence? His sister? Memories of the parents? The relationship with their aunt, her wanting control, and the support money, the confrontations with Mike, the thugs, urging them to rough up the pizza rear, the aftermath? The irony of the babysitter, connection with the group, Mike relying on her during the night shifts, her being part of the gang?
9. Freddy’s, the atmosphere, the old machines, the lights, the animatronics? Sounds? Suspicions? The surveillance, cameras, the lights?
10. The policewoman, surveillance, discussions with Mike, supporting, warning? A character, bonding with Abby? The visits to Freddy’s? Abby and her assertion? Mike’s apprehensions? The policewoman and her warnings, and the final revelation as to who she was, her father, and the final dramatics?
11. The horror in the pre-credit sequence, the man, the tunnels, menace, his death? The thugs, their smashing the place, the creatures coming alive, the pursuit, the terror, menace, the horror of their deaths? Concealed, later discovered?
12. Mike, the continued dreams, wanting to know the truth? The challenge in his dream, letting his brother go, his regrets?
13. The buildup to the climax, the creature, menace, turning on the family, the irony of the father, the abductions, the trapping of the children, in the creatures, his control over them? His daughter, Mike, Abby and his defeat? The irony of it the revelation of who he was?
14. The screenplay and the combination of Mike’s story, the abduction, his search, the consequences for him, Abby? His dreams? Along with the horror story about the haunting of Freddy’s?