First Things First…
This just had a massive opening weekend, which surprised because it debuted streaming on Peacock the day it opened in theaters. That’s how I’m watching it—in my living room the first Sunday after it came out. Critical reviews have been poor, but audiences seem to love it. I don’t know the video games it’s based on at all, but I thought the trailers looked good. I was surprised to find out it’s only PG-13. It struck me as an R movie. Either way, I’m excited to check it out.
3 Things I Like
3. Abby and Her Ghost Friend
Things often get dicey when a movie or show needs good performances from kid actors.
Here, they needed one to really work, because Abby is at the center of a sinister plot—she’s the one Freddy and friends want. Luckily, the young actress who plays her, Piper Rubio, crushes it. She’s believable as a little girl struggling socially, which makes it hard not to feel good for her when she meets her “friends” at the restaurant. And she’s 100% sympathetic once she’s in danger.
Then there’s the ghost kid who inhabits Freddy. Of all the kids we see in Mike’s dreams, he’s the main one. He doesn’t have enough lines that it would’ve killed the movie if he was bad. But it helps that he’s really good. He’s just the right blend of innocent and creepy. And that’s perfect, because something tragic happened to him, but now he’s trying to hurt another innocent child himself.
2. A Horror Icon Strikes Again
I’m happy to see Matthew Lillard show up in anything—horror or otherwise.
And here, despite how predictable it is that he’s the real villain—I would’ve been stunned if it wasn’t him—he’s always a welcome presence. He’s a genuinely good actor who brings the necessary menace once he’s in the suit, trying to kill Mike.
But there’s something else critical to his performance…
He shows just enough hunger as he explains and offers the security gig to Mike while he’s at his day job, and in his alter ego. It’s not full-on desperation—that would’ve revealed too much. But there’s a yearning there for Mike to say yes, even as he tries to act cool with it when Mike initially turns it down. It’s just enough to make him feel a little off-putting.
1. Amazing Animatronics
Freddy and pals look great. I mean, even when they’re at their friendliest and most harmless, they’re still creepy. What a tremendous idea it was to create this type of “child-friendly” animatronics and have them turn out to be bloodthirsty and homicidal.
0 Things I’m Mixed On
5 Things I Don’t Like
5. Horrendous Big Brothering
I know Mike is supposed to be a screwup. I know he doesn’t feel capable of taking care of his sister, and he’s largely right. And I know he’s desperate to solve the mystery of his brother’s abduction all those years ago.
But he intentionally takes his sleeping pills so he can sleep and dream on the job—again—knowing Abby is with him this time, and that it’s dangerous, and after Vanessa told him not to do that anymore. Even he seems smarter and more responsible than this.
4. Vanessa, Woman of Mystery
Vanessa’s role is confounding. I’m fine with allowing a character’s motives to remain a mystery for most of a movie. But once it’s revealed where they stand, their actions and motivations should make sense.
In Vanessa’s case, if she had wanted to help Mike survive all along, the help she gave him should’ve been a lot clearer. And if she was on her father’s side, she easily could’ve led Mike right into traps. Instead, she splits the difference. One minute, she’s flirting with Mike, the next she’s threatening to shoot him if he brings Abby back to the restaurant. And despite that, she still makes it seem like it’s safe for him to keep working there.
Shades of gray can be great. But Vanessa doesn’t feel like a character who’s morally gray, or simply conflicted. Her actions just don’t add up.
3. Custody Battle
Mike’s battle with his aunt for custody of Abby is an unnecessary distraction. There’s no need for another villain.
Plus, the idea that his aunt even wants custody of Abby—who she clearly doesn’t care about—just for the government assistance checks is hard to buy. The tradeoff of being responsible for Abby seems too steep. Because if she’s getting those checks, you can be sure there would be checkups on Abby’s welfare, so she couldn’t just cash the checks and neglect her niece.
But Mike eventually forms a truce with his aunt—out of nowhere—and it goes nowhere because she ends up getting killed.
They could’ve streamlined the movie by cutting this storyline. Mike would still struggle raising his sister, and with no alternatives he’d still be desperate enough to work at Freddy’s.
2. WTF to Make of Freddy & Pals
The movie opens with Freddy and pals murdering the previous security guard—so they’re evil…
Then they just want to play with Abby—so they’re good…
But they actually want Abby to join them permanently, which means murdering her—so they’re bad again…
But they’re controlled by the ghosts of kids who were abducted and murdered themselves—so they can’t be all bad, right?
Well, I guess they can be evil if they’re controlled by the guy who took and killed them—because he’s clearly bad…
But why on earth would these ghosts listen to the guy who did that to them?
I was scratching my head for a lot of the movie about whether I should be on the side of Freddy and pals or not. It’s confusing, and the explanation for why they act homicidal doesn’t make sense. I would’ve much preferred if they were pure evil and not controlled by the ghosts of innocent kids. The whole premise of the movie is based on how scary those “kid-friendly” animatronics are. They don’t need to be sympathetic.
1. Too Tame
At the end of the day, this is just too tame. I wish they really leaned into the craziness of the concept and let it be super scary. And not having Freddy and pals controlled by innocent ghost kids who are being manipulated by an evil man would’ve helped. If they were just homicidal maniacs through and through, and there was no need to hedge bets and maintain space for them to turn babyface at the end, it would’ve creeped me out much more.
An R rating would’ve helped on that front, too. Horror movies don’t have to be rated R to work, but this one really could’ve used it.
Tim Matassa
