Five Nights At Freddy's Fans Will Need To Watch The Movie More Than Once – Here's Why
The long-awaited film adaptation of "Five Nights at Freddy's" is coming just in time for Halloween, and while plenty have questioned the day and date release plan, hardcore fans will be thankful for the readily accessible streaming on Peacock after catching the flick in the theaters. "FNaF" started out as an indie horror video game, but has since exploded into a multimedia franchise. The fandom rivals those of even the most dedicated stans of music idols, with online sleuths tearing apart every frame of a game, teaser, or trailer as a means of putting together creator Scott Cawthon's admittedly convoluted lore. Universal and Blumhouse have been keeping the "FNaF" film assets pretty close to the chest, which means fans have left no stone unturned and picked the bones of promotional material clean as they (who am I kidding, "we") await the film's debut.
Well, if there's one undeniable perk about this line of work, it's that I've already seen "Five Nights at Freddy's" in all its glory. I'm not going to provide spoilers or express my opinion on the film as a whole (I won't break embargo, sorry!), but I will say that "FNaF" is a film that will require multiple viewings because it features a treasure trove of fandom goodies. We already knew that the Employee of the Month board shown in the trailer features the faces of popular Let's Players (as they have all owned up to who can be seen in the background), but that's just the first layer of this ball pit of wonders.
Just like the "Five Nights at Freddy's" games, the film delivers a feast for rabid Easter egg hunters.
Let the games begin
If you don't want to take my word for it, director and co-screenwriter Emma Tammi has confirmed that "Five Nights at Freddy's" is filled with references that only the hardcore fans are going to recognize. "Well, I can't give any of those away," she told SFX magazine. "I'll say this: I think some will be immediately obvious. Then I think others will be found on a second or third watch. We've got some things that are buried in there a little bit more that you might not notice on the first watch." She's right. I saw the film during a press screening where I was noticeably one of if not the only person who knew what some of the in-universe references were. Nothing like squealing in your chair over a [REDACTED] appearance while the rest of the theater stares at you like you've grown five heads.
My suggestion? Check out "Five Nights at Freddy's" in the theaters for the ultimate viewing experience, and then immediately run home to watch it again on Peacock so you have the ability to hit pause and hyper-analyze every scene. Lorehounds, you're gonna be eatin' good with this one. And I'm not talking about decades-old pizza or cupcakes. Okay, maybe a little bit of cupcake.
"Five Nights at Freddy's" hits theaters and Peacock on October 27, 2023.