Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

Movie · 2023 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 50m · PG-13 · English

Curator score: 0.6/10 (1.6M ratings)

Can you survive five nights?

Overview

Recently fired and desperate for work, a troubled young man named Mike agrees to take a position as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant: Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. But he soon discovers that nothing at Freddy's is what it seems.

Ratings

Director

Emma Tammi

Production

Blumhouse Productions, Scott Cawthon Productions

Cast

Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kat Conner Sterling, David Lind, Christian Stokes, Joseph Poliquin, Grant Feely, Asher Colton Spence, David Huston Doty, Liam Hendrix, Jophielle Love, Tadasay Young, Michael P. Sullivan, Wyatt Parker, Lucas Grant, Jessica Blackmore, Garrett Hines

Where to watch

Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus

Curator Review

Verdict

A fan-service-heavy horror-comedy built around game-lore recognition, spooky animatronics, and a surprisingly soft emotional core. It’s more approachable than scary, with polished production design and a playful tone, but it can feel undercooked if you want real dread or a tighter thriller.

Best for

  • Fans of the video game series
  • Viewers who like PG-13 horror with a light, playful edge
  • Audiences who enjoy creature design and haunted-location atmosphere
  • People watching for communal reactions and Easter eggs

Skip if

  • You want genuinely frightening horror
  • You prefer lean, suspenseful thrillers
  • You’re not interested in fan-service or lore references
  • You dislike movies that play it safe with violence and scares

Overview

Five Nights at Freddy’s is less a terror ride than a carefully packaged invitation for fans to point at the screen. The animatronics are the main attraction, and the movie understands that its strongest asset is the uncanny contrast between kid-friendly iconography and dead-eyed menace. It has a slick, polished look and enough atmosphere to keep the setup moving, even when the scares are more teasing than punishing.

Worth noting

The story leans into trauma, guardianship, and the idea of a haunted workplace, which gives it a little more feeling than the average game adaptation. But it also keeps things broad and accessible, smoothing away much of the nastier edge that could have made it more memorable as horror. The result is watchable, sometimes charming, and often amusing in a crowd, but not especially intense.

Bottom line

If you come for lore recognition, creature effects, and the pleasure of seeing a fandom favorite translated into a mainstream studio movie, it delivers. If you come for suspense, dread, or a truly nasty haunted-house experience, it’s likely to feel too tame.

Top Letterboxd reviews

ciara (3★) · 26277 likes

best way to watch this is with your best friend who deeply knows the lore and you’re just there to see josh hutcherson be sexy

_Jackathy_ (1.5★) · 24320 likes

I was just waiting for this moment ➖➖🟪🟪🟧🟪🟪🟪🟪🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜🔳🟨⬜🔳🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟫🟫🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨➖⬜➖⬜🟫⬜🏻🟦➖⬜➖➖🟫🏻🏻🟦🟦🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟦🟦🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨➖🏻🏻🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧➖➖🟫🟫

max ⭑ (5★) · 20538 likes

best part was when freddy said ‘it’s fazzin time!’ and fazzed all over everyone

bira (2.5★) · 19865 likes

4 people died in that place and nobody gaf

adambolt (3.5★) · 13827 likes

I got to hear like 30 people in the audience collectively whisper “is that the bite of 87??” during one scene, I’m so glad this movie exists

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Topics

horror, thriller, supernatural, haunted attraction, creature feature, PG-13 horror, video game adaptation, nostalgic, campy, atmospheric

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