Within the past two weeks since the opening night of the ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ movie, most reviews range from ecstatic fans overjoyed at the final product to cynical critics at a loss over the anticipation for the film.’Five Nights at Freddy’s’ successfully delivers a beloved film made for long-time fans but proves to be an unnecessarily confusing horror film for everyone else.

The movie follows Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, an unemployed brother caring for his younger sister Abby Schmidt, played by Piper Rubio, when he is offered to work nights at a closed animatronic pizzeria which provides entertainment via singing animatronic mascots. Conveniently, the man who offers him the job, Matthew Lillard as Steve Raglan, later revealed to be William Afton the main antagonist and serial killer, forgets to tell Mike the animatronics are murderous and possessed by vengeful children’s ghosts, which later try to kill Mike as well as Abby.

Depending on the response to that brief description, that is your answer as to whether or not you will find this movie enjoyable. The director and actors outright told potential viewers the movie is for hardcore fans, and the final product drives that point home.

The movie, much like the games, intentionally has hidden Easter eggs for fans to find on their fourth or fifth viewing. From the midnight motorist shirt of a murdered victim to the line “but that’s just a theory” delivered by YouTuber MattPat, the movie is full of moments made to make fans lose their minds. As gratifying as these moments were, someone who has not spent an embarrassing amount of time looking at video game source code or watching lore videos on YouTube is not going to have the same reaction.

Besides these countless moments of fan service, the plot itself is convoluted beyond most movies, especially horror films. The FNaF franchise has never been known for clarity or simplicity, and I expected nothing else from the movie. Once again, this does no service for those who know nothing going into the movie. Big reveals towards the end of the film lack punch if viewers have no idea who William Afton is and why it is such a big deal that he is in a giant yellow bunny costume. The general plot makes enough sense that newcomers can get something out of the film, but may also be left with more questions than answers.

    For longtime fans, I cannot express how much I recommend watching this movie. The care and detail put into the movie is evident, from the Living Tombstone’s music in the credits to the use of the Jim Henson Creature Shop in the creation of the animatronics. It is clear that the fans were at the forefront of the creators’ minds, from preproductions until the final touches. Blumhouse Productions worked hand in hand with Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthon to ensure that even the most minor details like costumes matched his intended vision.

    Waiting roughly eight years since the first tease of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie back in 2015, I can comfortably say as a die hard fan that the movie is made to satisfy fans and it delivers. The embarrassingly large amount of times I freaked out from an Easter egg or plot point is testament enough that those eight long years were worth the wait. While I do think that those new to the franchise will find the movie hard to follow, maybe it will be an opportunity for some to look into the games, lore, and fanbase that made this film possible and figure out what the hype is all about.