WARNING- contains graphic video game descriptions

Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNaF) is an indie horror game franchise released by Scott Cawthon. The main series consists of nine survival horror video games taking place in locations somehow connected to a fictional family pizza restaurant franchise named “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza,” after its mascot, the animatronic bear Freddy Fazbear. In most games, the player assumes the role of a night-time employee, who must use tools such as security cameras, lights, doors, and vents to defend themselves against the hostile animatronic characters that inhabit the locations. The series’ lore is gradually revealed through voice recordings, minigames, and easter eggs featured throughout the games. 

This franchise is a rollercoaster of emotions and climaxes that the video game fans hope to see in the upcoming “Five Nights at Freddy’s” film. Fans also expect honorable mentions from Markiplier, who has been crowned “The King of FNaF,” MattPat, famous for his FNaF game theories, and Kellen Goff, the voice actor for many of the FNaF games we know and love.

Originally teased in 2015 the FNaF film is finally coming to fruition and video game fans all across the world are anticipating this movie. This franchise packs a lot of lore into it, and while it may require time and attention to learn all of it, it’s worth the effort.

The good thing is there are plenty of full video essays about the FNaF lore if you’re thinking about getting into it. 

In the first game, you have a job as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Your job is to look after the animatronics for five nights. On the first night, it’s fairly easy. There’s a clock that starts at 12 am and you have to survive till 6 am. After a few minutes, the animatronics start to move around the pizzeria to try and get to you. You’re on the other side of the building from the animatronics, but to prevent them from getting to you, you have to watch where they are through the security cameras. There are doors on either side of the security office, and both have a lights button and a doors button. Whichever way you turn, you can see the animatronics by using the lights button, and you have to keep the door closed until they leave. Seems easy enough right?

Wrong, while you can keep the doors closed for as long as you think you need to, that won’t stop the power from running out. It’s a high-stress level game. You have four animatronics after you, while you try to conserve power, watch the cameras, check the doors, and survive from 12 am to 6 am. If you don’t survive, then you get jump scared and it’s game over. The nights gradually become harder as you continue playing.

“I really like the video game. It’s great for when you just want a good scare, and I’m really excited about the upcoming movie. It’ll be fun to see the video game in a movie adaptation,” said sophomore Skye Sansom.

In the shortest explanation possible. A man, William Afton, murdered five children, and those children’s souls possess the animatronics that chases after you in the first game. Later on, the children come to get revenge on William, but he hides inside of a spring-lock rabbit suit that locks him inside, crushing most of his body. This is how he becomes Spring-trap, or as the fandom like to call him, PeePaw Willy. 

William creates an animatronic set to kill children, but only when the child is alone. Unfortunately, his daughter, Elizabeth, was alone in a room with Circus Baby, and Baby’s chest cavity opened up with a claw holding an ice cream cone. Elizabeth went to reach for the ice cream, and the claw grabbed her, and Elizabeth’s body was stuffed inside of Circus Baby. Elizabeth then died, her soul got stuck in Circus Baby. 

William’s son Micheal then became a bully towards his younger brother (Crying Child, no confirmed name). At Crying Child’s birthday party at Fredbear’s Pizza, Micheal and his friends tease the Crying Child and make him kiss Fredbear the animatronic. The bullies push Crying Child’s head into Fredbear’s mouth, resulting in Crying Child dying. Crying Child’s mother (no confirmed name) cannot handle the loss and commits suicide and her soul is trapped in Ballora.                  

“Even though I’m new to the FNaF fandom, I’m just as excited as most for the movie to release, because the story behind the games is really interesting,” said sophomore Cynthia Maldonado.

Micheal is tricked into entering the scooping room by the sister location animatronics. In the scooping room, in the shortest terms, he gets turned into a meat suit. Ennard goes into Micheal’s body and tries to act human, but eventually, Micheal’s flesh rots, and Ennard has to discard Micheal’s body and hide in the sewers. 

While the FNaF fandom waits for this so-called film, I think we can all settle for Willy’s Wonderland, starring Nick Cage. It’s close to the same concept, killer animatronics caused by a murderous man, but it’s a comedy. Did I mention that Nick Cage has no lines in the movie? Yeah, not one line, but Cage is the main character and his casting name is “The Janitor.” It has the classic high school friend group, the jock, the pretty girl, the tomboy, and the nerd that has a crush on the tomgirl. I won’t spoil anything for you but I would rate it an 8/10.