Warning: Spoilers Ahead forFive Nights at Freddy’s.
Although described as a horror film,Five Nights at Freddy’sdoesn’t quite deliver when it comes to its scare factor. While there are plenty of jump scares scattered throughout the film, they manage to make audiences laugh more than anything. If the film gets a sequel, which it likely will, more horror elements should be incorporated overall. That isn’t to say the film should amp up the gore factor because it definitely shouldn’t.Its PG-13 statusdoesn’t need to change. Instead, it should lean more into spooky and suspenseful factors; otherwise, it could easily turn into something akin toChild’s Play. While such a style of horror isn’t inherently bad, horror humor doesn’t pack the same kind of punch.
While the film is classified as a horror movie, it’s not necessarily a scary one. Since its release last week, the film has already garnered plenty of love from its fans. However, it manages to delight its built-in fanbase more than it tends to spook the masses who may be unfamiliar with the game. To be clear, despite what the critics are saying,Five Nights at Freddy’sis a fun and entertaining movie. Clearly made for fans of the original video game, the film knows what it’s doing and happily stays in its lane. Nonetheless,if aFive Nights at Freddy’ssequelever comes to fruition, elements such as better jump scares, more suspense, and an unsympathetic villain should all be included in the franchise as it develops.
Better Jump Scares
While jump scares can be an effective tactic in any horror movie, this film utilizes them in a way that’s more humorous than anything. While such humor can be a good way to lull audiences into a false sense of security,Five Nights at Freddy’s, likea horror comedy, only seems to make viewers laugh rather than scream.
Given the location of the movie, there are numerous opportunities for effective jump scares to actually be scary. There are plenty of corners and nooks for killer animatronics to lurk behind before terrifying their victims. Even the characters throughout the film don’t seem frightened by their own jump scares, ultimately inducing laughter or irritation more than fear. Incorporating more effective jump scares while also maintaining their humorous ones would be an even better move for potential sequels in the future.
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More Suspense
The beginning of the film does an excellent job of building suspense for what happens next, which manages to set the tone of the film well. The fear emitted from the unnamed security guard during the opening scene is palpable, but such elements only seem to pop up a few other times throughout the movie. While suspense might start to build during a specific point in the film, the audience is never truly concerned for the safety of the main characters.
Unlike other horror films where most characters seem at risk for death,Five Nights at Freddy’sdoesn’t leave audiences wondering who will make it out alive. Even though Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) are attacked toward the end of the film, their survival isn’t necessarily questioned because thelevel of suspensewithin the film is lacking. While its lack of suspense doesn’t take anything away from the film, it simply doesn’t add to its scare factor. More suspense going forward would add a much-needed fear factor throughout the film.
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An Unsympathetic Villain
While the true villain at the heart ofFive Nights at Freddy’sis a man in the yellow rabbit suit influencing the possessed animatronics, such a revelation doesn’t occur until the end of the film. Audiences learn about how thechildren came to possessFreddy’s robots, which commands more sympathy for their situation, ultimately removing the fear factor initially felt by their presence. Although they’re clearly dangerous and have murdered numerous security guards, as well as others who’ve broken into the building over the years, it’s easy to overlook when presented with their origin story. As a result, the narrative becomes more sad than scary.
In the end, audiences are introduced to William Afton (Matthew Lillard), the man in the yellow rabbit suit, who essentially controls what the ghost children do. Although it’s never explained why he wants them to kill, nor does it dive into why he kidnapped and killed them in the first place. Before viewers can fully develop a fear of the yellow rabbit and what he’s capable of, he meets his demise and is dragged away by the children.
As potential sequels strive to continue theFive Nights at Freddy’sstory, incorporating an unsympathetic villain like the yellow rabbit would inherently make the films scarier. While it’s all but explicitly stated that he dies, death clearly isn’t an obstacle, and he’s likely to return as another possessed animatronic. Furthermore, since Afton is beholden to no one and will probably seek revenge for his death, his unpredictability will add a layer of fear absent from the first film.
Five Nights at Freddy’sisn’t the kind ofhorror film that needs goreto be effective. It can still tweak other horror elements while maintaining a solid PG-13 rating, which clearly made the film more accessible to younger audiences. Its success isn’t rooted in its gore or lack thereof, so changes to how much blood viewers see on screen aren’t necessary. However, as the possibility of sequels begins to take hold, upping the ante in other areas of horror and making the sequels scarier overall will only add value to the developing film franchise.
