The “Five Nights at Freddy’s movie” is finally out and smashed it with the viewers amassing $250 million  in the first few weeks.

The main problem with the movie seems to be the plot, with it being not only too complicated, but also stemming off to another story that people just did not care about.

The movie starts with struggling security guard Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) getting fired and trying to fight for custody of his younger sister Abby (Piper Rubio). He takes a job at an abandoned pizzeria with a questionable background where he meets local policewoman Vanessa (Elizabeth Lalil). Things get spooky as Mike realizes the paranormal energy in the place helps with his dreams and finding his long lost brother.

Overall, the movie needs work, mainly with its confusing story that not only leaves fans of the franchise uninterested, but also leaves new fans and people who are not as versed in the lore left in the dust.

The twist was also not great, as they only reveal the main villain at the end, which was undoubtedly the highlight of the movie.

Some things that went right were the costumes, especially when looking at the hulking puppets of animatronic they had moving around the set.

The acting was so-so, but the main character Mike played by Josh Hutcherson was definitely a highlight. For as shallow as the movie was when looking at emotions, Hutcherson was the only one who seemed real, like a normal person the audience could relate to.

Its mainstream success can also be attributed to its popularity with the younger generation, which has been the main focus of the games for years. The general consensus among parents however, is not good as most see it as a vapid rip-off of 2021 release “Willy’s Wonderland” starring Nick Cage (Which says a lot considering it’s a Nick Cage movie) while making it all the more uninteresting. Matthew Lillard makes his return to the horror genre after his iconic roles in Scream(1996) and Scooby Doo(2002) and steals the show at the end of the movie.

If I were the director I would seriously regret not focusing the central plot around him and his veteran acting talent. After looking at all pillars of the film, the only ones keeping the movie from falling apart are the set design, wonderful costumes and acting from duo Josh Hutcherson and Matthew Lillard. The biggest gripe about the movie for me personally is the horror aspect, or lack thereof.

If I spend nearly $60 for tickets, snacks and refreshments to see a horror movie, I expect to be scared and the movie just doesn’t even try to do that. I can name one time where I could see myself being scared but it was ruined because they spoiled it in the trailer, which was a major disappointment. As a fan of the FNAF franchise I am not happy with what was put out in theaters.