I have watched this movie twice, once before October 27th and again on November 4th. The first time I watched the movie, there was a crowd of fans decked in costumes, and the experience itself was fun as we went through the motions of every jumpscare and surprisingly tender moments. Personally, it wasn’t the best movie, but I enjoyed it. It was more of a scary good movie.
Hence the main argument: many viewers complained that the film was not scary enough as the gaming franchise interprets it. Also, the lore of the film does not align with the game. Before I watched it, I watched multiple videos of theories about the lore behind the game. What I found are simply theories and not much confirmed by the creator of the games, Scott Cawthon. However, let’s look on the bright side of it. The movie introduces us to a new story while maintaining the similar elements and references of the game.
Some things from the movie felt rushed, such as the final battle scene. These are but a few of the complaints in regard to the movie. Other criticisms of the movie were about the behavior of the animatronics themselves. The lore behind both the games and movies consists of the deaths or “disappearances” of children and their souls possessing the animatronics and the man who hid their bodies. These scenes show that the animatronics’ humanity is vital. Deep down, they are still children who have not received justice for their deaths. The games do not show these kinds of behavior other than attacking and jump-scaring gamers during the gameplay. Still, since it’s a feature film, it’s necessary to show the playful element to make us, the audience, feel sympathy for them and understand their situation. I can only assume that the people who complained about the movie are too focused on the role of the main character doing their actual job as a security guard.
To compare the game and the movie’s lore, it takes a fresh turn under the guidance of Scott Cawthon’s ideas. They kept the part of the animatronics’ backstory along with the missing children. The game’s lore is filled with tragedies, all connected to a cruel man who murdered innocent children.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the movie because I did not raise my expectations so I could look forward to it. And watching the movie with a packed theater, you can quickly feel the excitement and joy of moments when they reference the game, along with a few jump scares.
The franchise that began as an indie horror game with minimal backstory unites people with the element of using the fear of animatronics. Watching the movie was definitely worth it. And I’m absolutely looking forward to the next two installments that the studio has confirmed and what Scott Cawthon will have in store.