Everything you need to know about the hit movie, Five Nights at Freddy’s
This 2023 film, directed by Emma Tammi from a screenplay by Scott Cawthorn (the creator of the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series), is a supernatural horror from the Blumhouse Productions studio, who also brought you horror films such as the Paranormal Activity series, Sinister, and M3GAN amongst others.
The story follows a troubled security guard (Josh Hutcherson) as he begins working the night shift at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza – a dilapidated and closed family restaurant which featured uncanny (read: creepy) animatronic mascot characters. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the late shift at Freddy's won't be so easy to make it through.
What is Five Nights at Freddy’s based on?
The brainchild of indie game developer Scott Cawthorn, Five Nights at Freddy’s began as a 2014 survival horror video game, putting the player in the position of a security guard during the nightshift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza (itself based on the US family restaurant chain Chuck E. Cheese’s). Unable to leave the security office and using only the security cameras situated in the empty restaurant, the player had to survive five shifts while keeping an eye on the wandering animatronics (who would only move when the player was not watching). Should one of the robots reach the office unobstructed, the game would “jump scare” the player and the game would end.
The jump scares made the game highly popular with LetsPlay and reaction videos online and its success spawned a long series of sequels and spin-offs (nine, at the time of writing). Meanwhile, Freddy Fazbear and his murderous compatriots have become cult pop culture icons, immortalized in various forms of merchandise and now in this feature film.
Who stars in Five Nights at Freddy’s?
- Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) plays Mike Schmidt – a security guard struggling with memories of his younger brother’s abduction, who takes the job at Freddy’s to help support his younger sister.
- Elizabeth Lail (You) plays Vanessa Shelly – a local cop that befriends Mike and tells him about the restaurant’s history.
- Matthew Lillard (Scooby Doo) plays Steve Raglan – a career counselor that gets Mike the job at Freddy’s.
- Piper Rubio plays Abby – Mike’s younger sister.
- Mary Stuart Masterson (Benny and Joon) plays Aunt Jane – Mike and Abby’s aunt, who is cynically attempting to gain custody of Abby for the childcare payments.
- YouTuber MatPat – who featured Five Nights at Freddy’s prominently in his videos - makes a cameo as a waiter in Sparky’s Diner.
When was Five Nights at Freddy’s released?
Five Nights at Freddy’s was released in 2023, close to ten years after Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza was unleashed on the public in the first installment of the video game franchise.
Where can I watch Five Nights at Freddy’s?
After topping the US box office with a successful theatrical run and an estimated net profit of $161 million, Five Nights at Freddy’s premiered on Sky Cinema and NOW in the UK on 21 June 2024.
You can catch all the fun of Five Nights at Freddy’s on demand as part of a Sky Cinema or NOW subscription at no additional cost. Plus, as a Sky Cinema subscriber, you can enjoy two free Vue tickets every month – perfect for your next scream.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is not available on Netflix in the UK.
Is Five Nights at Freddy’s kid friendly?
Five Nights at Freddy’s was given a 15 rating certificate by the BBFC, who cited “Scenes of strong, sustained threat and violence accompany an unsettling theme of child abduction.”
There has been some debate to this decision, as the film was released in the US under a softer PG-13 rating (generally equitable to a 12A in the UK). However, no matter how friendly these robots may seem, it’s probably best to put the kids to bed before hitting play on this one.
Will there be a sequel to Five Nights at Freddy’s?
The nightshift isn’t over yet! Blumhouse Productions officially confirmed a sequel was in development in April 2024, and is due for release in cinemas at the end of 2025.