On Aug. 8, 2014, game developer Scott Cawthon released the survival game Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF). Various Let’s Play videos uploaded to YouTube soon after the game’s release helped promote its popularity, making it one of the most successful indie game franchises ever. FNAF has evolved into nine main games, spin-offs, challenge-based games, and novels. 

Now Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and Striker Entertainment present the newest installment in the franchise, a supernatural horror film directed by Emma Tammi. 

The movie follows troubled security guard Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) on a search for employment to take care of his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio). Amidst a custody dispute with his aunt regarding Abby, Mike discovers an urgent need for employment. Due to desperation, he ends up taking up an old offer from his career counselor, Steve Raglan (Matthew Lillard). Soon enough, Mike finds himself working at a rundown local family restaurant. 

Mike learns that the rundown family restaurant shut down in the 1980s after some mysterious child disappearances. Frequent vivid dreams about his younger brother’s disappearance lead Mike to believe that the kidnapping of his brother may have something to do with the previous missing children. 

The movie’s creators had a particular goal in mind for the film. They wanted to create a movie made with fans in mind, not critics. For this reason, the crew focused on adding easter eggs, elements from the original game, and paying tribute to the content creators who helped the game grow. 

For the movie’s creation, an impressive set was constructed in Louisiana. The set was based on the first FNAF game. The crew paid special attention to matching everything from wallpapers, tiles, posters, old computer systems, etc. The amount of research and effort that went into creating the set alone shows the commitment the game developer and filming crew have to their audience. 

FNAF is popular for hiding easter eggs throughout their games. The latest movie did not disappoint and kept the long tradition going. The movie makes various references to popular fan theories and legends. Fans of the franchise can have fun pointing out small details such as Mike’s alarm clock, original dialogue from the games, and spin-off game characters. 

So far, the biggest easter egg of the film pays tribute to YouTubers who have helped the game grow. As a way to say thank you to the overwhelming amount of content creators responsible for the game’s popularity, Game Theory host MatPat and CoryxKenshin make an appearance. In addition, 8-Bit Ryan, Dawko, FusionZGamer, and Razzbowski can be seen on the Employee of the Month wall in the pizzeria. Featuring these YouTubers builds the connection between the movie and the games while appreciating these content creators’ contributions. 

Since it wouldn’t be a FNAF movie without animatronics, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop used practical effects to create the game’s five original animatronic characters. To create one of the film’s highlights, the animatronics had to be built to be performed for the entirety of the film by Puppeteers. 

The FNAF movie provides franchise fans with a thrilling and nostalgic film. It is made clear that it is not a cash-in on a popular video game. Rather, it’s an incredibly detailed film that stays true to the source material.