Movie Night: Five Nights at Freddy’s

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On April 18th, The Gleaner hosted another campus movie night, this semester featuring the cult classic, Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF). Despite freezing wind and the upcoming dread of finals week, plenty of students were able to make it out to the quad for a night of free food and a good FNAF scare. Upon seeing the costumes and decorations covering the quad, passers-by may have wondered what the draw is to a film like Five Nights at Freddy’s?

Originating as a horror video game in 2014, Five Nights at Freddy’s is centered around a chain of pizza restaurants called Freddy Fazzbear’s Pizza and the company’s mascot, an animatronic of Freddy himself. Players control the pizzeria’s night guard as they have to fight against Freddy and other animatronics who come to life at night. As players make their way through the game, they begin to learn about the history of the restaurant and its animatronics, who they defend themselves against.

The games rose in popularity as they garnered views on YouTube. Youtuber, Makiplier, who is one
of the most popular Five Nights at Freddy’s gamers, posted his first video playing the game on August 12, 2014. Claiming in the title of his video “scariest game in years”. His gameplay series has now gained over one billion views on YouTube. Traction gained from videos like his is what has allowed the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise to expand with seemingly infinite sequels that are still being released today, and consequently led to the 2023 movie adaptation, and the upcoming 2025 sequel.

In over the ten years since the game’s first debut, its fanbase has begun to dwindle. But, current college age students are the people who grew up playing and watching the game during its heyday. Alex Brasberger, a math major at Rutgers Camden, talks about his previous love of the games saying, “I saw the movie, but I don’t really play the games anymore”. Which seems to be the general consensus from people who grew up with the game. He explains how he was introduced to Five Nights at Freddy’s
through friends as well as YouTubers like Markiplier and IHasCupquake, and that while he liked horror games, it wasn’t really the game itself, but the YouTube videos, culture, and the game’s lore that drew him to the franchise. Another student, Don Frenzle, explains the lore of the game, stating, “It wasn’t much the game itself, it was more the stories and what-not behind it that captivated me.” Then, beginning to discuss the movie, Frenzle and Brasberger shared similar opinions: “It had some of the aspects of the lore that YouTubers used to touch on, but it wasn’t amazing at including it,” Brasberger expressed. Frenzle also added that the film felt “too kid-ified,” making it stray from the game’s original intended audience. But, both stated how they enjoyed the movie, Frenzle calling it “fun” and “decently-made.”

While the movie didn’t necessarily live up to the standards that many fans hoped it would, it still did well in the box office, grossing almost 300 million dollars. If you’re a Five Nights at Freddy’s superfan or just simply a gameplay watcher who enjoyed the game’s lore and stories, hopefully you were able to make it to The Gleaner’s Five Nights at Freddy’s movie night last month. If not, stay tuned for next semester’s movie night so you don’t miss out on another fun night on the Rutgers Camden quad!