Fans of the “FNAF” game series have been waiting patiently for a film adaptation for the last eight years since the first teaser came out in 2015. On Oct. 27,  they were finally given what they wanted for so long with the release of the “FNAF” movie. 

The movie’s plot follows the classic style of the first game with the original four animatronics: Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy. Keeping consistent with the game, the security guard (Josh Hutcherson) dons the name of Mike Schmidt. However, the movie strays from the game and into its own story with the introduction of Abby, who is Schmidt’s younger sister in the film. Through this character, the dark origin stories of each animatronic is brought to light, which further solidifies the film as a story that deviates slightly from the games. 

The movie’s main plot may come across as lackluster to some fans who are more used to poking around for background details within the franchise. Hutcherson’s character suffers from lucid nightmares of the abduction of his younger brother, who was taken when he was young. After getting hired by William Afton (Matthew Lillard) to be the security guard at Freddy’s, an eerie, Chuck-E-Cheese adjacent location, Mike Schmidt is able to communicate with the spirits of the missing children which caused the diner to shut down in the first place through these lucid nightmares. Through this job, Schmidt befriends Vanessa (Eilzabeth Lail), a police officer who keeps an eye on Freddy’s location, despite the pre-existing guard. 

When it comes to the plot that makes up the ambience and background of the film, fans couldn’t be more satisfied with what was offered. Riddled with easter eggs and references to the story within the game’s franchise, the subplots showcase director Emma Tammi’s signature style of having a fuller atmosphere rather than a more complete story.

However,  the film fails to live up to most viewer’s expectations of the expected horror movie film. While more gruesome than the average PG-13 “horror” movie, many fans were expecting a much more grisly adaptation of the truly horrifying games. Many fans may have been wanting this, but the disappointment only comes from getting their own hopes far too high, considering the movie was heavily marketed to a younger audience. 

Overall, “FNAF” serves as a great omen to everything within the original game, but lacks in the realm of horror which is the prime center of the franchise as a whole. Matthew Lillard and Josh Hutcherson give great performances, with Lillard, whose most known role is Shaggy from the “Scooby-Doo” films, offering a surprisingly strong  performance as a villainous character.

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” is available to watch in theaters and on Peacock.