Video games were soaring into Hollywood in 2023, from “The Last of Us” series in January, to the “Super Mario Bros. Movie” in April to the “Gran Turismo” movie in August. 

“The gaming IP arms race is just beginning to heat up, and 2023 is primed to be the year it makes contact,” writer Cristopher Cruz wrote for Rolling Stone magazine.

With video game adaptations releasing left and right, arguably the most anticipated release was the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie. After Warner Bros. Studios acquired the film rights to Scott Cawthon’s game series in 2015, there’s been talk of a movie for nearly a decade. 

When I watched the movie, I felt as though I was transported back to fourth grade. While I’m not a big fan of horror, I have spent more hours than I’d like to admit researching the games’ lore and history. so I expected much dedication from the filmmakers for such a long wait time.

The directors and producers have certainly done their homework. The movie is true to the lore of the games, while keeping the subplots tastefully intertwined.

Mike Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson of “Zathura” and “Hunger Games” fame, is desperate for a new job and eventually starts anew as a security guard at the titular Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. However, Mike finds himself falling down the rabbit hole of dark secrets, all while trying to make enough for his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) and defend himself from the rest of his family.

While the movie holds together very well with its loyalty to the games’ lore and fanservice (featuring cameos from YouTubers MatPat and CoryxKenshin, who have brought theory, charisma and popularity to the franchise), some of the acting and characterization are difficult to process, and I especially wanted to see more of Hutcherson’s acting prowess.

Without spoilers, the movie is full of unlikable characters, and while they get their comeuppance, it is done predictably. It conditions the viewer to dislike most of the side characters while pointing you in the direction of Mike and Abby. 

This is done to such a great extent that Mike, the main protagonist, ends up taking a backseat to Abby. I worry that the horror aspect of the film relies too much on cheap gimmicks, such as canned glitch effects and flashing lights.

The movie’s allegiance to the lore still has legs. The sets, especially the main security office, are wonderfully constructed, with outstanding attention to detail in lighting, props and even location. While I believe that this movie is going to stand solely on the novelty of a “Five Nights at Freddy’s” film adaptation for the foreseeable future, fans of the series may forget about it with time. 

For now, I’m enjoying the ride. Reportedly, a sequel is in the works, and while I’m unsure of what a second movie may contain due to how the film covers most of the games’ main lore, I hold out hope that a sequel will quell my complaints with this film.