The Collegio Pittsburg's student voice since 1916
Himika Akram reporter
Five Nights at Freddy’s, the movie based on the critically acclaimed video game franchise, has finally released. And it is more like a mixed bag. On the one hand, the film successfully recreates the game’s eerie vibe and thrilling scares. The sound design in this picture is top-notch, and the animatronics appear menacing. However, the film’s plot is confusing and never pays off, and the characters are not flesh-out enough to care about.
Troubled teen Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) works as a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, an innocent establishment hiding a sinister secret. The daytime children’s entertainers become dangerous killers when they come to life at night. Mike must keep his job and make money, so he must work the night shift for five nights.
Hutcherson delivers a serviceable performance as Mike, although he is hampered by a lack of material. The film has a lot of tried cliches and flat characters. All the film’s other characters are flat and easily forgettable.
The plot is equally confusing and disappointing in this picture. The film’s limited running time results in a rushed and underdeveloped story. The film’s ending is anti-climactic and unsatisfactory, and it leaves many things unresolved.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is not a great film, but it is not bad either. It is an enjoyable, scary movie that does not take itself too seriously. However, it is not the kind of movie that will stick with you for a long time afterward.
One positive aspect of this film was its animatronics, which were brilliantly brought to life by the film’s special effects team. The soundtrack was superb. It was crucial to build tension and fear. The creaking and buzzing sounds made by the animatronics are excellent.
There was a weird, frightening vibe throughout the picture. Some of the film’s scares were legitimately terrifying. There were plenty of jump scares throughout the picture. But some scares were more subtle and ambient.
However, some weaknesses of this film were its complicated and unsatisfactory plot. The film’s limited running time results in a rushed and undeveloped story. The film’s ending is anticlimactic and unsatisfactory, and it leaves many things unsolved. The movie’s events were easy to foresee. It was filled with tired tropes, and you can guess what will happen next. Also, the movie lacks originality. The movie is a rehash of numerous other horror movies.
If you like video games, you might also like this movie. But if you are looking for a fresh and horrifying take on the horror genre, you will be disappointed big times. Fans of the game and those who enjoy successful horror flicks with sudden, shocking deaths.
Those searching for a well-crafted, thrilling horror picture should look elsewhere, as should those who find graphic violence and gore offensive. My personal rating of this movie would be 5.5/10.