This is my review of the Five Nights at Freddy's movie in just three minutes.
There are many things that people like about the FNAF series: The dark theming, intricate and ever-growing lore, nostalgic aesthetic. For most, the gameplay sits near the very bottom of that list. For this reason, the idea of a Five Nights at Freddy's movie doesn't seem inherently unwarranted. If it can work in almost a dozen games and books, why can't that story translate to something grander?
Unfortunately, in this particular outing, I don't believe it does. I'll avoid spoiling anything major as it's still a movie I'd advise watching, partially because of how much discourse has already arrived alongside it. You often can't like it without being called uninformed and you can't dislike it without being a fake fan or clickbaiter.
Well, consider me the latter because no matter how much I baited it to, FNAF never quite clicked with me. The setup works fine I suppose. It's a story about a security guard who needs to keep this last job because the sister he has practically adopted may be taken away without that stability. The stakes are high for him so he can ignore that feeling at the back of his head telling him to leave.
Then, when he starts getting vivid visions of a lost relative every time he falls asleep at his desk, he has to see it through to the end or that feeling will eat away at him for the rest of his life. In pursuit of this, plot threads are constantly thrown at you throughout the movie, draping just overhead but never quite long or sturdy enough to grasp onto. In a sense, it almost becomes a little disorienting and not intentionally so. Rather than weaving tales into one central plot that brings it home, everything is left feeling messy and unsure of itself.
This is perhaps what came through most in my time with the film. Its aesthetic and cinematography is clear and confidant but nothing else quite matches up to it. It's not a particularly scary film but I never really minded this, that's not exactly what kept people playing the games. In 2014, it was good for a thumbnail but not much more. The movie is very aware of this - and it had to get that 15s rating.
One thing I did really like is the presentation of the animatronics. It absolutely nails Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, Foxie, and the rest of the cast. Unfortunately, the acting cast never quite hit the right notes for me. I enjoyed Mathew Lillard's rather eccentric role, as I always do, but Josh Hutcherson's rapid switch from melodrama to stilted left me never quite jelling with Mike as a character. Most side characters feel like goofy '80s sidekicks, complete with irrelevant and mostly undeveloped backstories - something that feels antithetical to the lore monster that is the source material.
Ultimately, coming out of the movie, I never quite felt like it grabbed the bits that really intrigued me about Five Nights at Freddy's. The darkness of it all feels cartoonish without the justification other FNAF projects make, melodramatic without the soul that pushes you through it. Unlike the games, I never really took joy in unwrapping the mystery at its core and the contrived plot points and unsatisfying side stories left me feeling just a little hollow. I felt alienated by it and not in the way I was hoping to.
For a quick peek behind the curtain on this video. I never really planned on talking about Five Nights at Freddy's. I booked my ticket and went after work but, after taking a look online, I see near-unanimous praise. I love when people love things but I didn't spot a perspective similar to mine which doesn't feel quite right.
I see a lot of people claiming that this is for the fans but when you suddenly stop being considered a fan for not liking it, you aren't looking for fans, you're looking for sycophants. When I think of a fan, I think of someone who wants the things they like to be better. I wish the FNAF movie was.
Негізгі бет Five Nights at Freddy's Movie Review in Three Minutes - It's Not Where I Wanna Be
Пікірлер: 21