“Five Nights at Freddy’s” review: disastrous, boring and mediocre adaptation

Adaptation of the saga Five Nights at Freddy’s It devotes a significant portion of its opening scenes to exploring the well-known world of the video game saga. This allows director Emma Tammy to construct a script that It combines a new story (or attempt at one) with plenty of references to the source material.

But it’s not a waste of time and effort, because the script by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cudbeck and the director herself soon takes a different direction. Thus, the numerous winks, references and hints to the exploration of the universe spanning eleven games and three novels remain in suspense. Or rather, it is abandoned in favor of a generic horror film based on a basic plot and ridiculous visual direction.

That’s just the least of the problems for a film that had every opportunity to capitalize on a horrifying and satirical story. But the plot tries again and again to indicate that this is a horror film.. And this is without studying and delving into the idea of ​​what the threat might be and where it comes from.

From the opening scene, which features a chase that uses all the video game techniques to hint at a dangerous presence, it’s obvious that the film is based on the original franchise. But this is not related to the feeling of darkness, absurdity and violence that characterizes the gameplay on game consoles. TOUntil then, it seems like a crude and cheap copy of the larger world, which it fails to imitate in all its complexity.

A tedious story that goes on for too long

Nothing will improve with the introduction Michael Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), a bumbling security guard with a complicated history. So I take a job at an abandoned pizzeria. Freddy Fazbear, this is an option that cannot be avoided. The script struggles to provide context for this dim, opaque figure whose main quality is knowing when there’s trouble around him. Including strange events occurring in the premises that you must keep an eye on.

The flimsy plot takes the essence of the game – animatronic creatures that come to life and are capable of killing – and turns it into just another experience. It may well be Chucky, Megan or other horror based creature on inanimate objects and will have the same effect. It is clear that the plot is trying to give non-players the opportunity to enjoy the film, but does so at the expense of its dynamism and ability to interest.

The film spends over an hour explaining Mike’s injuries, which will eventually be of interest to the plot, amid tedious repetition. The character, intended to be a human element capable of showing the limits of horror, is merely a scapegoat. There is no interest in its history, origins or context.

Especially when Josh Hutcherson barely gives it any vitality or complexity. Mike wanders from night to night, engaging in disturbing battles with cruel creatures, but this does not seem to have much impact on his life. Before this, the plot flashes back to his past to bring back memories of his personal history. All to make it clear that every step he took in his life, even the unfortunate mistake that led him to unemployment, put him in this situation. More precisely, the only one capable of fighting the formidable creatures that await him and the other victims every night.

Failure at every level

Worse yet, the visual Five Nights at Freddy’s. While it’s clear that the production is aiming for an aesthetic that references the game’s saga, the attempt is clumsy. Especially when the material from which it is taken has a specific and very inventive use of the visual section. While it’s clear that the film is trying to emulate an immersive aesthetic, it not only fails, but ends up being kind of a bad version. full of developmental problems and tends to be flat.

After years of anticipation, the adaptation of this iconic video game turned out to be a mediocre copy of a larger, better designed game. What’s worse is that it’s a shared vision of technological terror that could be much more complex and sinister. The problem that the tape does not solve at any stage is but this is emphasized by the shameful and predictable ending.