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So far, it seems Five Nights at Freddy’s will join a long list of underwhelming movie adaptations of popular video game franchises. Early reviews call out the horror movie for being loaded down with plot and not filled enough with genuine scares.
GameSpot sister site Metacritic only has nine reviews chronicled at time of publication, but none are positive. That equates to Five Nights at Freddy’s currently sitting with an abysmal 28 metascore. The horror flick is based on the video game series that debuted in 2014 and even co-written by creator Scott Cawthorn.
One bright critique for the film, however, comes from GameSpot’s Five Nights at Freddy’s review. Phil Owens scored the horror movie a 7/10 as it’s “mostly a good time.” But he does knock it for having “more plot than it’s able to support.”
Another common issue cited relates to the movie’s PG-13 rating possibly resulting in underwhelming scares for the flick. That said, director Emma Tammi has stated that fans should “not expect an R-rated version” of Five Nights at Freddy’s.
The movie premieres Friday, October 27, in theaters and streaming on Peacock. For more Five Nights at Freddy’s reviews, check out below:
GameSpot — 7/10
“When the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is able to just be that–and it is most of the time–it’s a lot of fun. Creepy and weird animatronic nonsense is a really funny part of our culture and is an excellent idea for a movie. But it can’t manage to just be that, because the franchise has grown a ton since this project first began.” — Phil Owens [Full review]
Variety
“The filmmakers behind Five Nights at Freddy’s made all the wrong choices. Instead of giving the animatronic characters center stage, they decided to concentrate on a baffling plot and backstory for their protagonist. In trying to adapt the game for the screen, they forgot what makes the original special, wringing unintentional laughter from its bizarre story instead of entertaining audiences.” — Murtada Elfada [Full review]
Collider — 1.5/5 stars
“There are moments where it feels like it could have become a more gleefully mean-spirited horror ride by really sinking its teeth into the story and actually biting down, but it remains hamstrung by the rating as well as a lack of creativity.” — Chase Hutchinson [Full review]
IndieWire — Grade D
“A film about a haunted Chuck E. Cheese clone doesn’t exactly need to be complex to be watchable. But Five Nights at Freddy’s somehow misses the arcade for the flashback forest, undercutting the obvious appeal of animatronic cartoon characters as menacing slasher villains by refusing to ever become a real horror movie.” — Wilson Chapman [Full review]
IGN — 4/10
“There’s somehow too much and not enough of the animatronics. Created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop, they naturally look pretty cool–both faithful to the game design and credible, physical machinery, like something you might have scarring memories of seeing in the ’80s or ’90s. But the movie doesn’t seem entirely sure of how scary it’s allowed to make them.” — A.A. Dowd [Full review]
The Wrap
“It’s more like an adaptation of the game’s Wikipedia page than an adaptation of an actual game, and it’s a textbook example of how video game adaptation often fails to translate the true appeal of the material. By focusing on what happens the filmmakers lose sight of how it feels to be there when it does.” — William Bibbiani [Full review]
The Independent — 2/5 stars
“Yet, instead of catering to the in-built audience ready and waiting, Five Nights wastes time trying to win over people who couldn’t care less. As a result, what should’ve been an intricate, twisted, and absurd treat is demoted to generic horror movie sludge, in no way discernible from any of the other spooky titles lining the October release schedule.” — Clarisse Loughrey [Full review]
