Hollywood Gradebook: Five Nights at Freddy’s

Film: Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)

Plot: The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event. The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.

Director: Emma Tammi

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Average Grade: C

Number of Graders: 22

MEMBER REVIEWS

Aaron White
Way too much trauma drama for what presents as, and probably should have been, an entertaining slasher-like horror experience. Not scary, not bloody, and despite including plenty of the series’ lore, not enough fun moments to off-set the boring majority.

It’s made for the fans. If you’re one of them, you’ll probably enjoy the nostalgic experience of seeing a beloved franchise in film form, regardless of the tonal imbalance and general ridiculousness of it all. If you’re just coming for a good little slasher-style horror flick, you’re probably gonna leave sorely disappointed.
GRADE: D+

KOLBY MAC
Whatever #FNAF was hyped up to be, it’s fallen flat on me! Not nearly enough scares. Not particularly compelling. Felt like it’s missing some camp and far too familiar to be anything close to great. Let a DIE HARD FAN tell u, this Mobile game to Big screen is worth the wait!
GRADE: C-

Nicholas Spake
If you’re a diehard Five Nights at Freddy’s fan, chances are you’ll look past the film’s flaws and appreciate the various in-jokes. If you’re looking for a film first and foremost, Five Nights at Freddy’s isn’t quite scary, funny, or fresh enough to wholly recommend. Optimistically, the inevitable sequel might follow the trajectory of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which improved upon its predecessor. For now, Five Nights at Freddy’s plays more like a trial run that’s about seven years behind. Maybe it’ll be more entertaining watching Markiplier’s reaction video.
GRADE: C+

Christian Eulinberg
It delivers precisely what I was looking for, an enjoyable horror film that caters to both fans of the game and the general audience. Josh Hutcherson and company cast deliver excellent performances Catch this movie theater, where the sound design truly shines!
GRADE: C

Rick Bentley

Five Nights at Freddy’s is the latest film to proclaim itself a scary movie but ends up approaching the genre with such trepidation that the result is a bland tale that is neither scary nor funny enough to at least make it an amusing take on the horror theme. The way Emma Tammi has directed this film to stay under the PG-13 frame, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” ends up being more like “110 Minutes of Tedium.”
GRADE: D

Michael Lee
Five Nights at Freddie’s is a serviceable film adaptation for fans of the popular video game of the same name but lacks a compelling story to keep those unfamiliar with the franchise interested. There are a few decent jump scares and some pretty cool deaths but they are wasted early on.
GRADE: C-

Gaius Bolling
Wasn’t expecting to dig Five Nights at Freddy’s but I did. I’ve never played the game & a lot of it is very weird but I was entertained & down with the weirdness. The sold-out crowd seemed to love it too & it was mostly fans of the game which is what matters in the end.
GRADE: B

Francisco Cangiano
Sloppy, boring and unscary, Five Nights at Freddy’s is a big letdown, and one of the worst films I’ve seen this year.
GRADE: D

DarkSkyLady
While missing the horror and simplicity of the first game that made it a tense success, Five Nights at Freddy’s has a compelling plot even with some poor choices. The acting works for the story though the villain is easy to identify. On top of that, the animatronics bring Freddy and his crew from the game to horrifying life. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop delivered unforgettable nightmares that you’re tempted to hug but don’t want to get too close. Five Nights at Freddy’s is fun and hopefully with the ending, a potential sequel ups the horror and embraces an R-rating.
GRADE: B-

Terence Johnson
Five Nights at Freddy’s snuffs out its own light with a confusing plot and inability to let its freak flag really fly.
GRADE: D

Jonathan Fujii
A good film is in here somewhere amongst the multiple storylines the movie tries to address. But it’s stretched so thin and loses focus on what people want to see, and spends too much time with the lore and backstory of it all. But the animatronics are fantastic, incredibly well done which adds to the atmosphere and tension. It’s watchable but nothing special at all.
GRADE: C-

Abbie Bernstein
However, the storytelling in FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S feels at once over-complicated and not entirely satisfying. The melding of technology and supernatural can work just fine (look no further back than DEAR DAVID, released a few weeks ago). Here, though, the explanation leaves much to be desired, and too much relies on coincidence. Without blowing the ending, several huge questions remain unaddressed.

Hutcherson plays Mike’s weary despair and confusion well. The robots are never exactly terrifying, but they are unnerving. Director Tammi and the practical effects team find smart ways to bring expression to their fake-fur-covered faces.

Major bloodshed is implied, but barely shown, except for some wounds. This is a film that comes by its PG-13 rating honestly. It’s hard to tell if more graphic violence would have added or detracted from FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S overall effect. As it is, the movie seems best suited for those who prefer their scares within boundaries and aren’t too concerned with plot logic.
GRADE: B-

Caillou Pettis
Emma Tammi’s expertise, coupled with the stellar cast and crew, state-of-the-art practical effects, and a great story, elevates Five Nights at Freddy’s, making it a spine-tinglingly fun and wonderfully eerie horror film that will haunt viewers long after the credits roll.
GRADE: A+

Dave Morales
A quirky and intriguing film. Fans of the video game franchise will absolutely love this, while non gamers will be pulled in with the nostalgia of the story. Another plus – the music another character!
GRADE: A

Melody McCune
Five Nights at Freddy’s woefully underutilizes the great Matthew Lillard while struggling to create a harmonious balance between the action, narrative, and character development.

Pacing-wise, it lags, and it manages to make the animatronic creatures less formidable and more humorous. It’s strange, considering the film doesn’t market itself as a comedy. Josh Hutcherson does his best to keep the film afloat, though.
GRADE: D+

Anthony Digioia
Five Nights at Freddy’s builds an effective atmosphere and definitely delivers on the visual crafting of Freddy and his evil crew. But the story spends far too much time in Mike’s dreams and when we do finally get to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza the main act is watered down and lacking any sort of memorable impact.
GRADE: D+

John Nguyen
Five Nights at Freddys is a fun horror movie that will excite fans with its lore and characters. It’s not really scary, but there are a few creepy and gory scenes.
GRADE: C+

Jeremy Mathai
While the expert horror heads among us shouldn’t expect “Five Nights at Freddy’s” to reinvent the wheel, there are plenty of cleverly staged thrills, humor, and most importantly, heart, to keep the proceedings humming along at a steady and confident clip.
GRADE: C+

James White
Five Nights At Freddy’s rather falls between two stools – it’s neither a particularly scary horror movie, nor is it a particularly convincing character study, no matter how much it aims to flesh out the concept. The idea was a sound one, and fans will certainly find plenty to enjoy spotting references to the games, but for those who have never played, this is a frustrating, disappointing misfire.
GRADE: C+

Jeandra LeBeauf
Five Night at Freddy’s is a confusing story to follow whether you are a fan of the game or not. The Animatronics invoke fear of bad pizza more than dread. At best, it’s a cautionary tale on the dangers of wandering away from your parents during camping.
GRADE: C-

Daniel Rester
Five Nights at Freddy’s‘ doesn’t offer many scares for seasoned horror viewers, but younger audiences and fans of the game series should enjoy it. The backstory sections involving Mike’s sibling and exposition dumps by a cop character do cause the film to drag at times. The animatronics and pizzeria setting are impressively designed.
GRADE: B-

Scott Menzel
Five Nights at Freddy’s was a sometimes fun yet often frustrating film to watch. While there are some great moments that are highly entertaining, the film ultimately disappoints due to the poor writing and the lack of explanation. The film is very convoluted and leans way too heavily into trauma rather than horror. That said, the animatronics are absolutely stunning and all of the scenes involving Freddy and the other animatronic characters serve as the highlight. It’s a mixed bag but I hope the sequel is better.
GRADE: B-