Make the ordinary scary
Ignorance is bliss. That’s why—when it came time to review the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the video game ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF)— the Fulcrum sent me to review it. At least, I like to think so.
Did you know FNAF’s rotten tomatoes audience score more than triples its low critic score? Although there are many variables at play, I wonder if it’s because of the movie’s lengthy history as a video game adaptation.
Watching a movie without seeing the trailer is my favourite way to make the most of a visit to a theatre. I don’t look at what genre it is, nor do I consult any reviews.
Why? Because ignorance is bliss: it strips the movie of context and expectations; it forces me to view the movie for what it is, rather than what it’s trying to be.
With no background on the video game, I had no high-set bar the movie had to reach, nor was I alert for missed plot points. I knew nothing about the FNAF franchise when I first sat down at the Scotiabank movie theatre in Orléans, Ottawa.
I will note: I went to watch FNAF on the second day of its release and was surprised to find the theatre nearly empty, save for a handful of people. Given it was a Friday at 1 p.m., I could chalk this up to be due to the time or location. However, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a lack of interest, as well.
As the previews rolled to a close, I was on the edge of my seat.
FNAF kicks off with deliberately choppy camera work of shadowed rooms, paired with anticipation-inducing music. Think: Halloween, backrooms, ‘twas a dark and stormy night. Determined to have the audience anticipating the plot’s next turn, there is a noticeably cryptic ambiance.
Shortly after, we, the audience, meet Josh Hutcherson, who plays Michael Afton, a high school teen turned father and security guard.
As convincing of an actor as he may be, Hutcherson is now 31 years old. Having seen the Percy Jackson and Hunger Games franchises alike, I—and most people my age—know what a teen Hutcherson looks like.
Why do directors insist on portraying the average high school boy to be beard-clad thirty-year-old man? Why choose Hutcherson: for his acting, or for his star power to garner interest in the movie?
Elizabeth Lail plays the female lead, Vanessa, a police officer with too keen an interest on Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Unfortunately, her acting, paired with the writing and direction of the film, left the audience wanting more. At times, her portrayal of Vanessa felt satirical and corny. I cringed when she threw Hutcherson’s prescription pills in the river — as a police officer, she really should have known better.
Even still, FNAF had many other redeeming characteristics: the classic creepy-kid-archetype who sees things no one else can; an upbeat, lighthearted montage scene; scenes that are both funny and scary; and scenes that’ll have you jumping out of your seat.
A PG-13 movie, FNAF wasn’t the scariest movie I’d ever seen. As a concept, however, I do respect the creativity of haunted animatronics. I admire the way the direction team leaned into making the ordinary scary.
For its target audience, however, I would argue it hits the mark of scary enough. A combination of its mystery plot, abandoned Chuck E. Cheese-style venue, unnerving animatronics, and just the right amount of gore sealed FNAF as a 6.5/10 for me. While I’d recommend it to a friend, it’s not something I’d be lining up to watch again.
