Five Nights At Freddy’s premiered on October 31st, the review will help you understand if the long wait that kept us in suspense for almost 10 years was worth it
ORIGINAL TITLE: Five Nights At Freddy’s. TYPE: orrore, thriller. NATION: United States of America. REGIA: Emma Tammi. CAST: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson. DURATION: 110 minutes. DISTRIBUTOR: Blumhouse Productions. CINEMA OUTPUT: 02/11/2023
Let’s start from this assumption: it has been clarified several times both by Blumhouse founder Jason Blum and by the director Emma Tammithat the film’s insiders wanted to focus on creating a straight-up confidential story to fans of the saga. Which is why we want to talk about this work as it was conceived by the director and the production, that is, a spectacle for the eyes of fans of the videogame saga. After the various postponements of the film, after waiting so long to see Freddy, Bonnie, Chica e Foxy on the big screen, can we say it was worth the wait? We will talk about this in the review.
The beginning of a saga? | Five Nights At Freddy’s review
Another thing to point out before we begin is what this movie is supposed to be the beginning of a saga, which is why you might not yet find what you want to see about the story of the video game in the film. Also because this film is based on first chapter of the saga, which then started the whole story that we discovered while playing video games. It exactly tells the story of the first game, where a young man named Mike Schmidt he decides to accept the job as a night watchman in the well-known restaurant where 5 children disappeared. If certain important events from the video game aren’t shown it’s because they haven’t happened yet in the first one, but the success of this film gives us hope that we’ll see them in the future. With this clarified, we can finally start talking about the film we’ve been waiting for for almost 10 years.
A human and plausible protagonist | Five Nights At Freddy’s review
The first factor to analyze is the protagonist: Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson). The protagonist of the film is the same as the first video game, although his story is a little different from the original work. Understandable, for the purposes of creating a coherent and linear plot with what happens within the film. Here Mike is a young man in crisis, a young adult trying to find his place in society and at the same time take care of his little sister Abby (Piper Rubio). Mike works as an unarmed security guard in a shopping mall, but the reason why he decides to do this job is not random. Without falling into spoilers, an early scene of the film shows Mike losing his brother Garrett, kidnapped by a mysterious man whose identity is unknown. One thing to appreciate about the protagonist is that, as young as he is, he is tormented by that event, which is why he is so overprotective of his sister.
The reason why the protagonist has so much charm is the fact that anyone can relate to him. It represents exactly the period of life in which a young person enters adulthood and must understand who she is, although it is not the main element of the film. Mike must fight his evil aunt to continue keeping his sister with him, and he is willing to do anything to do so. Which is why he decides to accept the job in the abandoned premises of the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. At times, the protagonist is a bit reminiscent of Peter Parker, a young man in difficulty trying to face the challenges that life holds for him. The one who chooses to face Mike to show he cares about Abby will be the biggest challenge of his life: accept his past to continue in the present and fight for a better future. The struggle he faces, in fact, it is more internal than it is external.
The amusement park for fans | Five Nights At Freddy’s review
Let’s get to the true protagonists of the film, the ragtag crew made up of Freddy, Bonnie, Chica e Foxy. Although Mike Schmidt is a well-written character, it is inevitable that the real stars of the film are the animatronics. Just like in the video game, the characters are possessed by the ghosts of the 5 children killed by William Afton. In addition to being the stars, they are also the key to winning the internal struggle that Mike is facing, in fact there is a lot of communication between them through the protagonist’s dreams. Aesthetically it goes without saying: they are nothing short of stunning, their design is almost identical to the original and fits perfectly into the setting. To admire theabsolute absence of CGIthe animatronics are real. From their appearance they are friendly and make you want to play with them and enjoy their shows, but they are also disturbing when they lose control. They managed to create a nice contrast between the characterization of the animatronics and that of the children’s ghosts, completely different personalities.
If on the one hand they manage to entertain, as animatronics who have to entertain should doit is also true that with adults, especially hostile ones, they become real killing machines. The way they introduce them is a joy to behold, we witness a spectacle of death and blood. Although the target of the film is aged 13 and over, it is also true that there is violence. The protagonists of the venue are shown one by one and each of them transmits enthusiasm in the hearts of the fans, who will see the animatronics at work while killing a group of criminals who sneak into the pizzeria. It’s impossible not to empathize with them, especially because the children manage to convey the pain and anger for the injustice they have received. However, they not only serve as entertainment, but also help the protagonists solve the mystery behind the history of the pizzeria, thus becoming the key and heart of the film.
The Charm of William Afton | Five Nights At Freddy’s review
It was impossible not to talk about him, the cause of all the carnage and ruin that was behind the history of the restaurant chain. Unfortunately the character of William Afton appears briefly in the filmbut in the few scenes in which we see him he makes a dirty impression, thanks also to the masterful interpretation of Matthew Lillard. As with the animatronics, William manages to be two people in the same body: the first is a good-natured, friendly and intelligent man, the other a psychopathic serial killer. Exactly as conceived by creator Scott Cawthon, William is the one who starts everythingthe reason why the film begins and reaches the ending.
His presence immediately captures the viewer’s attention and interest. Initially the character serves to push the protagonist Mike to accept the job as a night watchman, behaving in a kind and paternal manner with the young man, he helps him get his life back into control. But when it comes to the end, William shows himself for what he really is: smerciful to the core and without scruples. We don’t want to say anything else about it so as not to ruin the surprise, even if those who already know the story of the saga will already know how it will end, but the fact remains that William Afton is a character fascinating and his perfidy reaches levels one would not expect.
Thanks for everything, Scott | Five Nights At Freddy’s review
At the end of the day, in the Five Nights At Freddy’s movie there is so much heart and love towards the characters, the story and the creator Scott Cawthon, who started it all. Although there are some differences between the film and the video game, it is clear that those who worked on it cared a lot about the film and wanted to fully satisfy the fans’ expectations. Although they showed little of all the lore of the original work, it is also true that this is only the first film. Blumhouse has already shown interest in creating a cinematic saga, Matthew Lillard has in fact signed a contract to appear in three films. Considering the success that the first chapter had at the box office, significantly exceeding the budget of 20 million dollars and already reaching 130 million dollars, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they already announce the second film in the next few months. The plot is linear, the characters are simple but well written, the pizzeria setting has its charm and manages to create tension with some interesting and faithful to the game ideas. They could have shown a lot more, but that’s the beauty of the mystery, we will most likely find out more in the sequels.
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