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Coverage dated October 24, 2023 to October 26, 2023

Review: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is a tempered adaptation for fans and novices alike

Headline from Digital Journal

‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is based on a videogame that follows a nightwatchman tasked with protecting animatronics

Digital Journal's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Read the reports

Reports & sources

12 articles, oldest first.

  1. Variety

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Director Defends PG-13 Rating and Tells Fans ‘Not to Expect’ an R-Rated Cut: ‘We’re Sticking By’ Our Rating (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    "Five Nights at Freddy’s" director Emma Tammi wanted her film to be a "gateway" horror film for teenagers.

  2. Variety

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Review: Creepy Mascots Go Rogue in a Listless and Repetitive Video Game Adaptation (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    Budget horror maestro Jason Blum’s magic is nowhere to be seen in flat horror movie that pits Josh Hutcherson against a bunch of killer animatronics.

  3. New York Times

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Review: Creepypizza (opens New York Times)

    Published

    New York Times's feed description

    This adaptation of a video game franchise is more interested in unpacking childhood trauma than packing in jump scares.

  4. Vox

    Five Nights at Freddy’s, the cult horror game turned movie, explained (opens Vox)

    Published

    Vox's feed description

    How a collection of jump scares and killer animatronics shaped a decade of gaming culture.

  5. Avclub

    What do you need to know before watching Five Night's At Freddy's? (opens Avclub)

    Published

    Avclub's feed description

    Before seeing its big screen adaptation, here's our primer on the horror franchise, informed by playing way too many Five Nights video games

  6. The Guardian

    Five Nights at Freddy’s review – horror game movie is an unscary Halloween trick (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    A competently made yet maddeningly dull attempt to bring the hit video game to the big screen makes for an instantly forgettable night at the movies

  7. CNN

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ serves up another game-to-screen slice of horror (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    “Five Nights at Freddy’s” wants to do for animatronic arcade characters what “It” did for clowns. That’s unlikely, as this latest transformation from game to screen yields a weird horror concoction, fleetingly clever in the early going before gumming up the gears down the home stretch.

  8. Digital Journal

    Review: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is a tempered adaptation for fans and novices alike (opens Digital Journal)

    Published

    Digital Journal's feed description

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is based on a videogame that follows a nightwatchman tasked with protecting animatronics

  9. Polygon

    The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is a dizzying mashup of decades of culture (opens Polygon)

    Published

    Polygon's feed description

    ’80s animatronics, ’90s references, ’00s style — and a very 2020s take on internet fandom narratives

  10. Digital Trends

    Five Nights at Freddy’s review: a middling adaptation (opens Digital Trends)

    Published

    Digital Trends's feed description

    Blumhouse's live-action Five Nights at Freddy's is a mildly entertaining, if lackluster, video game adaptation.

  11. Avclub

    Five Nights At Freddy's: Game adaptation goes easier on the nerves (opens Avclub)

    Published

    Avclub's feed description

    Josh Hutcherson broods, Matthew Lillard mugs, but the animatronics are the stars.

  12. Variety

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Director on the Lack of Gore and Sequel Plans: ‘We’re Excited to Keep Making Movies in This World’ (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    'Five Nights at Freddy's' director Emma Tammi discusses how the horror film incorporates video game lore, defends the PG-13 rating and teases sequels.

Review: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is a tempered adaptation for fans and novices alike | Since Then