The popular game Five Nights at Freddy’s has finally received a live-action adaption, but the reviews don’t seem to be in favour of the otherwise beloved franchise. The movie was originally announced in 2015 and has gone through numerous changes in script and other overhauls.
Additionally, the review embargo for the movie is to be lifted by Universal on October 27, just a few days after its release in Mexico and the United Kingdom. The studio also made an announcement that Five Nights at Freddy’s release on Peacock would happen on October 25 (8 PM ET), right before its theatrical release.
Despite the Reviews, Five Nights at Freddy’s Has Hope
In the recent years since its announcement, it’s been observed that Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthon ditched the entire script so that the film adapt better to the game’s original idea. He even took responsibility for the delay it caused. But now that film has actually arrived, critics are calling it too ‘generic’ and something that clearly doesn’t live up to its potential.
According to BBC, the movie has been receiving mixed reviews. However, despite the reviews and nitpicking going on, the trailer has received a lot of favorable response from fans and possibly, from people who have never played the game before.
All of this puts the film’s reception in a negative spot; with the studio shifting embargo dates closer to the release that gives a wrong signal to viewers. It shows a lack of belief in the movie’s success and hints at asking fans to not keep faith in the movie’s positive reception.
The review embargoes aren’t a guaranteed remark over the movie’s production or its quality of adaptation. It’s important to keep in mind that Cawthon being on board as a co-writer and producer ensures that the movie follows in on the game’s original source material. After all, the movie is based on the narrative of the first three games as well as the lore between the lines.
The plot follows Mike Schmidt (played by Josh Hutcherson) who desperately needs a job in order to support his sister Abby (played by Piper Rubio). He stumbles upon an opportunity to work as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Initially not unscathed by the eerie vibe of this place, things seem to be ‘alright’, until Mike starts discovering darker truths about the place with the help of a local police officer Vanessa (played by Elizabeth Lail).
Five Nights at Freddy’s Has Been an Important Game for Horror Fans
It’s important to understand the significance of a game like Five Night at Freddy’s to better debate over the movie adaptation’s delay. The franchise is the passion project of Scott Cawthon, who made his way into the world of gaming by creating games like The Desolate Hope and Pilgrim’s Progress. These are Christian-focused games that revolve around some deeper narratives like anti-abortion propaganda.
Later on in 2013, Scott produced Chipper & Sons Lumber Co., a supposedly ‘family-friendly’ title with characters that resembled Chuck E. Cheese aesthetics. The reviews were quite negative and inspired Scott to develop Five Nights at Freddy’s, which has been a phenomenal success in recent years.
While Five Nights at Freddy’s has lore that is scattered all over the place through different games, it provides a jumpscare-worthy thrill that pushes many players to try playing the game in unique ways. After developing and updating the games, Scott retired from the game dev scene in 2021, making a name for himself in different sectors.
His history of donations was made official; which revealed how he had made major donations to political figures like Donald Trump. Before exiting completely, he also expanded the franchise into 13 separate games and 32 works of graphics novels and books. The success of the movie adaptation will depend on many things, but it doesn’t take away the importance of it.
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