Luis Laboy, Grade 12, Staff Writer
Blumhouse Productions released Five Nights at Freddy’s, adapted from the popular horror video game series and media franchise of the same name.
The movie follows Michael Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson, a young adult trying to support his little sister after his mother died and his father abandoned them. While looking for a new job, he got the opportunity to work as a security guard for an abandoned children’s animatronic restaurant.
The chemistry between Josh Hutcherson and Piper Rubio, who play siblings in the film, feels genuine. There is an obvious tension between them too, as they struggle to speak to one another because of their current situation and the pain the family is going through at the moment. Hutcherson displays fear for the safety of his little sister in the film and is undoubtedly protective over her. Once Rubio's character warms up to her brother in the film, you see how much she loves him. Both actors stretch out both sides of the spectrum, subtly showing how they feel a blend of anger and love toward each other. Even though the actors were good at portraying the characters, “the acting [as a whole,] not so much.” shares Keira Elinson (‘27) The lines delivered were cringey and badly timed for the mood of the scenes between the characters.
The film came out on a same- day release, both in theaters and on the streaming platform, Peacock. The popularity of the film in the first month broke records. The film gained the title of highest-grossing Blumhouse Productions film, exceeding Get Out’s $176 million box office run, with a $288 million box office run. The film also became the most-watched movie of all time on Peacock within its first week of release.
Some HSAS Seniors believed “the animatronics in the film were too silly” shares Carolina Chavez (‘24) and were completely different than in the games.
“Five Nights at Freddy’s is well-known for its jumpscares,” and the film lacked any at all, it could have been “more scary”, shares Noah Kao (‘24).
“On the other hand, the animatronics “weren't completely CGI,” concluded Chavez and "looked exactly like the original game’s animatronics."
The film’s storyline changed from the original lore of the video game. The film explored a more formulaic approach to the film, taking many different relationships and characters to change their roles in the film. The film is more commercialized for kids and tweens, rather than the original audience of the games in 2014, who are now either teenagers or adults.
Overall, the film is quite different from the source material and struggles to find itself being a great representation of the games. But, the film has some charm and good elements that make it a decent first film for an upcoming franchise.