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Five Nights at Freddy's
Movie

Five Nights at Freddy's

2023 • Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

Set in a pizzaria by the name of "Freddy Fazzbears Pizza", A man named Mike Schmidt takes the job of a night guard and must survive the attacks from the mysterious animatronic mascots including the main star, Freddy Fazbear himself. Based of the video game series, Five Night's at Freddy's by Scott Cawthon.

Overall Series Review

The movie is a supernatural horror thriller based on the popular video game series, centered on a troubled security guard named Mike Schmidt taking a job at the long-abandoned Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Mike is motivated by the desire to retain legal custody of his younger sister, Abby, against the machinations of their aunt. The core narrative involves Mike uncovering the dark history of the pizzeria, which relates to a serial killer and the murdered children who now possess the animatronics. The film focuses on themes of family trauma, grief, and the struggle to protect a child from a supernatural and very real danger. The movie does not dedicate its runtime to social commentary, but rather to lore, jumpscares, and the central conflict of a man fighting to keep his family together. The main villain, William Afton, is a white male, but the film's conflict is purely a criminal and supernatural one, not a socio-political lecture on identity. The film is directed by a woman, Emma Tammi, and features a prominent female police officer, Vanessa, who plays a complex role in the mystery. However, the primary emotional arc centers on Mike's protective, paternal struggle for his sister's well-being and custody.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The plot centers on a white male protagonist fighting to protect his sister and retain custody, driven by the trauma of a past tragedy. The primary antagonist is a white male serial killer. The narrative focuses on character-specific drama and supernatural lore, not on race, intersectional hierarchy, or the vilification of a specific demographic.

Oikophobia1/10

The central drama is a fight to preserve the family unit, with the male protagonist filling a protective role for his sister. The setting is a rundown American arcade, but the evil is a local, internal horror (a serial killer), not a critique or deconstruction of the broader Western culture or its institutions. The film does not frame Western heritage as fundamentally corrupt.

Feminism3/10

A key supporting character, Vanessa, is a female police officer who is competent and helps the protagonist uncover the mystery. However, the core of the film is Mike's protective, masculine struggle to secure and protect his sister. A female character, Aunt Jane, is depicted as an antagonist whose motivation is selfish and financial gain through obtaining custody, which does not promote a 'Girl Boss' narrative.

LGBTQ+2/10

The primary human relationships are a normative male-female pairing (Mike and Vanessa) and a strong sibling bond (Mike and Abby). The plot does not center on sexual identity, nor does it contain any explicit discussions or lectures on gender theory. Sexuality remains private and a non-factor in the story's development.

Anti-Theism2/10

The core conflict revolves around the spiritual concept of children's souls possessing animatronic bodies, which deals in the objective reality of good and evil. The protagonist, Mike, expresses regret over losing the family tradition of saying grace, suggesting a nostalgic appreciation for the value of faith rather than an anti-religious stance.