(NOTE: This is a spoiler-free review!)

Hollywood has had a long history of trying to adapt horror games into movies. Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Doom, and so on are all examples of popular franchises brought to the big screen.

Unfortunately, these attempts have ranged the gamut of quality or enjoyability from astounding to dismal. Some films catered more to devoted fans, while other franchises stopped taking themselves seriously.

Luckily, Five Nights at Freddy’s (or FNAF) falls into a range all its own, a decent horror film that caters to fans but also delights regular audiences.

Before discussing the film itself, let’s be clear about the high point of everything: FNAF’s visuals and effects are stunning.

The choice to bring in Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was perfect, and the Animatronics will delight fans and new viewers alike. Each character was almost entirely translated directly from the game, down to their movement and details. Even with the controversy over the eyes or minor appearance changes, nothing can detract from how good the animatronics look and feel.

As for the horror aspect, as a PG-13 film, this game sticks closer to the game’s style of scares. There is some minor blood and extreme deaths, but the film primarily startles audiences with jump scares or relies on tension and creepiness.

Now, on to the meat: the film itself. From the opening credits, referencing the 8-bit games introduced in FNAF 3, to the regular clock imagery, this film sets itself up as a true-to-game film adaptation.

FNAF successfully fleshes out a relatively simple plot from the original game, about a night guard trying to survive at an abandoned pizzeria haunted by cursed animatronics. Franchise creator Scott Cawthon, director Emma Tammi, and writer Seth Cuddeback expanded upon that basic concept by adding more depth to the main character, drawing upon the vast lore of the franchise, and even throwing in a few changes (and twists).

Unlike Silent Hill or Resident Evil, which already had full stories baked into each game, the FNAF series were often straightforward experiences. The history and lore were instead scattered behind the veneer of a basic survival game, only to be expanded upon in books and comics and by astute fans and content creators.

This FNAF “universe” helped turn a game you could beat in a single night into a complete film, with references to the overall franchise (rather than merely the original game). Characters, plot points, and easter eggs are drawn from many games over nearly ten years, including up to Security Breach.

If there’s any critique of the film, it’s some questionable acting from Josh Hutcherson of Hunger Games fame. While far from a bad performance, he is outshone in many scenes, and often seems tired or flat. The only difference is when the intensity in the film amps up, and suddenly, he’s bringing his all to the screen.

Everyone else in the film is fantastic. Elizabeth Lail is excellent as Vanessa, a character who is a (no spoilers) mix of two franchise characters. Piper Rubio, a relatively unknown child star, does well as Mike’s sister, a character created solely for the film.

And Matthew Lillard, as expected, is fantastic in his role, which we won’t give away in this review.

A relatively new director, Tammi was an excellent choice to helm the series after FNAF had been bleeding crew while in development hell. Her work with Cawthon on the script helped bring the series to life while providing an engaging, well-written story.

The cinematography and editing throughout the film occasionally bordered on the level of top horror films, like The Shining or Candyman, from overhead shots to transitions to intense close-ups. Meanwhile, the sets and costumes were taken directly from the games, with many props, backgrounds, and aspects referencing the entire franchise.

One easter egg even hints that the next film might be FNAF 2, a prequel to the first game (and thus this movie).

Before we conclude, we’d be neglectful not to mention the other film about night staff dealing with cursed animatronics. Willy’s Wonderland was based on FNAF but took a different approach, creating a more stereotypical, over-the-top Nicolas Cage horror film full of action, gore, and ridiculous lines. 

FNAF, on the other hand, takes a more game-accurate approach to its presentation, falling into the franchise’s creepy “PG-13” horror style. Less gore, a tighter script, and a focus on the lore create a completely different experience. This film brought claps and cheers from the entire audience, hardcore fans and basic viewers alike.

Overall, FNAF might be considered one of the better (if not top) horror game adaptations to hit the silver screen. Its good direction and writing, excellent cinematography, and astounding effects make the movie a solid experience; the accurate animatronics, loyalty to most of the game’s story, and constant easter eggs enhance everything and delight fans of the franchise.

Also, audiences should stick around to the very end! There is an early post-credit scene and an end-of-credit audio “puzzle” that might hint at a future film.

We give Five Nights at Freddy’s 5 security cameras out of 5.

Thanks to Allied Global Marketing for the screening passes.