Watching a horror movie is always so fitting for the spooky season of October, and this year, fans of the Five Nights At Freddy’s franchise were in for a mindblowing, cinematic treat. 

On October 27th, the horror film was released to theaters and screens at home alike, as it launched on the American streaming service, Peacock, the same day of its official premiere. While most moviegoers are solely appreciating the Five Nights at Freddy’s film today, the franchise’s humble beginning traces back to nearly a decade ago: a simple indie game created by Scott Cawthon, the movie’s co-producer. 

Similar to the game, the movie centers around a security guard who’s been assigned a night shift at an abandoned pizzeria. In this pizzeria exists seemingly dormant animatronics made with “cutting edge […] technology,” as described in the movie, before the establishment permanently closed. As nights go on, it becomes increasingly more challenging to keep the pizzeria in shape as the security guard comes to find out that the animatronics are haunted by the souls of murdered children. 

The movie’s animatronics stay astoundingly accurate to the Five Nights at Freddy’s universe. They include a singing robotic bear (Freddy Fazbear), a bunny guitarist (Bonnie), a pirate fox entertainer (Foxy), and food-obsessed chicken (Chica, “the lady of the group”). The talented crew behind the precisely crafted robots and puppets is none other than Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. 

Behind each moving animatronic was a remote-controlled model and a costume. Within those costumes, actors were able to move the animatronics’ eyes and eyebrows and overall give life to the characters. 

In addition to the lively animatronics, the movie also had a unique storyline of its own that unlocked so many new theories for die-hard FNAF fans and dedicated theorists. “I loved it! I think it was amazing” exclaimed sophomore Gabriana Bravo, who has been a huge fan of the franchise since the 1st grade. “I’ve played all the games, watched all the theories, read the books- like I am obsessed.” People like Gabriana have first handedly watched it grow from a little game to multiple books to a very successful movie. 

In contrast, some people viewed the movie with not as much knowledge of the franchise. Sophomore Janice Chung has been a fan since she was 11 years old, and even though she is not completely obsessed with FNAF, she still enjoys the movie and loves playing the games. “​​I didn’t know what to expect, so I went to watch the movie with an open mind. I’m not super into lore unlike my friends, but I am a fan because I really like the whole concept of the game, and I think it’s really fun and cool,” expressed the sophomore. 

The Five Nights at Freddy’s film did not fall short of amazing. Within its first week, the film became not only one of the most-watched films on Peacock, but also one of the biggest openings for a horror movie directed by a woman (Emma Tamni).

It is unclear when, or if, people will be able to see the next Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, but the entirety of the fan base is eagerly waiting regardless.