You remember that bit in the V For Vendetta film when the people of England—suffused by the fiery spirit of generally agreeable moderatism—all don their own V masks and take to the streets, proving that ideas are unkillable? Well now it's happening in Elden Ring, but with an upturned jar instead of a V mask and a big, starry monster in place of an allegory for the Bush administration.
Five Nights At Freddy's: Video game adaptation gets the most out of a very thin idea
26.10.2023 - 06:27 / stuff.co.nz / Nicolas Cage / Emma Tammi / Of A
Five Nights at Freddy's (R13, 110 mins) Directed by Emma Tammi ***½
Back in the dimly remembered days of 2021, a film turned up on my slate called Willy's Wonderland.
Willy's Wonderland starred Nic Cage as a drifter who is conned into becoming a janitor for a week at a broken-down diner, still populated by the giant, animatronic "entertainers" who used to regularly terrify the children. But these animatronics are possessed – and you can pretty much guess the rest.
I was fond of Willy's Wonderland, despite it being an atrociously bad load of old rubbish. It was chucked together with some decent gags and a bit of heart, and, y'know, Nicolas Cage...
What I wasn't expecting, ever, was to see a virtual retread of that plot in 2023. And then to find out the latest film, Five Nights at Freddy's, is based on the original intellectual property – a video game – and that it was Willy's Wonderland that was the rip-off.
Five Nights at Freddy's, by rights, should have been the first and only film based on this hilarious old premise that we ever needed to see. It's a far smarter, more coherent and nuanced affair than the Nic Cage effort.
In fact, Five Nights at Freddy's occasionally starts to look like a pretty thoughtful film. There's a Don't Look Now meets Where The Wild Things Are (or even, The Island of Dr. Moreau) quality to the backstory here that is actually quite engrossing, and the identity of ghosts who are within the machines, when it is revealed, is undeniably poignant.
As Mike, the security guard who takes on the titular gig, recovering child-star Josh Hutcherson is perfectly solid, with Elizabeth Lail (Gossip Girl) also fine as the local cop who takes an interest in Mike's career trajectory.
But the best actor on screen in Five Nights is eight-year-old Piper Rubio, as Mike's kid sister – and the soul of the film. Rubio is astonishing here, and if a career in acting is what she wants, this should be her launch-pad.
Five Nights at Freddy's is funny, has a couple of terrific jump scares and a surprisingly involving script. Director Emma Tammi and everyone else involved have made the very most out of a very thin idea. Bravo.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is screening in cinemas nationwide.
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