Nightmare Cinema: ‘Five Nights at Freddy's’

by Dolfina Allan

The movie “Five Nights at Freddy’s” – about a security guard at an abandoned pizza joint inhabited by killer animatronic mascots – was long-anticipated by many, especially fans of the 2014 game on which it was based. Did it live up to expectations?

The film seems to cater to a more general audience rather than the built-in one, which might account for it being a generic horror movie rather than an intricate, twisted treat.  With the slow build to the climax, it leaves much to be anticipated, without fulfilling those expectations. The ending is a bit rushed, and there weren’t many scary moments, making it hard to call this a horror movie at all.

On the plus side, the attention to detail with the animatronic costumes caught my attention. The costumes of the animatronics are so well done that it seems that they were created by CGI, but the costumes are authentic and not touched up digitally.

The movie hits upon the main parts of the game lore and reflects most aspects of the game. The actors do an amazing job, especially Josh Hutcherson, who plays the security guard, Mike Schmidt. Schmidt is slow to show his emotions, which adds to the eerie feeling of the storyline.

The killer mascots in “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” (Universal Pictures)

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