Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)

Director: Emma Tammi

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard

A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realizes that the night shift won’t be so easy to get through. Pretty soon he will unveil what actually happened at Freddy’s.

Mike can’t keep a job. He can’t pay his rent or the babysitter, and he can’t properly look after his little sister Abby. When he risks losing custody of Abby to his Aunt, Jane, he takes the first job that comes along – offered to him by job counselor Steve Raglan. (Raglan being the job counselor and the later reveal about his character was a bit too convenient.)

Mike starts working as a security officer at a rundown pizzeria called Freddy’s. No longer in use, the building is subjected to constant break-ins, and the owner – apparently having sentimental value over the pizzeria – hires a security officer to watch the place. It is a very creepy place and makes for a scary setting.

Hoping to prove Mike incompetent so she can gain custody of Abby, Jane hires juveniles to break into Freddy’s and trash the place. However, when they break in, they encounter murderous animatronics that came to life.

Mike has a tragic back story: when he was twelve years old, his little brother was taken, and never found. His back story and the present intertwines , which can be very confusing at times. He also has dreams about the past and its not always clear when he has nightmares or memories.

The film offers effective jump scares and a few twists in the mix as well. I firmly believed this was going to be just another slasher movie, but it has a lot more substance. The unique and creepy antagonists are bound to give a younger audience nightmares – what with those glowing yellow eyes! For me, this definitely will go down as a memorable watch.

‘Five Nights at Freddys’ broke several records upon its release. At the box office, it earned $130.6 million on a $20 million budget.

Would I watch it again? I think so.